HARRIS’
HAWK
#HRS-400
Notecards
Also available in Notecard Assortment Packs #AST-401,
#AST-404 & #AST-503
#LE-HRS-400
Limited Edition Print
Native
to the deserts of Arizona, Texas, New Mexico and Latin America,
Harris’ hawks are seen more and more often in the northern
States and Europe. Why? Falconers, who appreciate this bird for
its agreeable temperament and its range of quarry, are rapidly
making it the most popular raptor for their sport. Wild Harris’
hawks often live in small flocks, cooperating in hunting and family-raising.
This sociability transfers to falconry, resulting in a hunting
style that some falconers find more enjoyable.
Commonly
mistaken for sluggards, Harris’ hawk may perch hour after
hour on a fence post or telephone pole. But in the cool of the
early morning and evening, these strong hawks swoop among cacti
and mesquite thickets in search of rodents, ground squirrels,
lizards, snakes and small birds.They build nests of sticks and
weeds, often in yucca or giant cactus, for broods of three or
four chicks.
Ranging
in length from 18 to 29 inches, Harris’ hawks are mostly
dark brown, with chestnut shoulders, wing linings and thighs and
a white rump and tail tip. Audubon named this hawk in honor of
his friend Edward Harris, a naturalist who hiked with him up the
Missouri River in 1843.
Text © 1997 Terry White, Drawing ©
1997 Bill Harrah
.
. . BIRDS OF PREY . . . (Click on an image to
see the actual notecard size)