The Harris hawk (also known as the Bay Winged hawk) is easily recognizd from the true buzzards by its longer wings, longer and thinner tail and longer legs. It prefers dry to arid, manily open country and grasslands with scattered tree often near water or marshes.

It hunts by sailing low over the ground and takes small to medium sized mammals, reptiles and a variety of birds. Unlike many other birs of prey, Harris Hawks also hunt in co-operative groups and share food. Groups consist of 10 to 15 birds of both sexes and of varying ages but it more common to see them in groups of 2 or 3.

They build their nests of twigs, sticks and leaves in various medium sized trees or large cacti. 2-4 eggs are laid in Mid April to May and incubation takes about 30 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and leave the nest after about 6 weeks

Common Buzzard - Buteo buteo
Length - Male 20" Female 23"
Distribution - British Isles, Europe and Central Asia to Siberia, Japan, USA

Buzzards can be found all year in Scotland, Wales and much of England. They frequent all types of country including woods, moorland, mountains, sea cliffs and of course farmland. They are easily identified in flight by it's broad wings and rounded tail, soaring in circles with it's wing tips splayed. You will often hear them with their distinctive high pitched call.

Buzzards feed on small mammals especially rabbits, rodents, birds, lizards and all types of carrion. Both sexes build the nest out of bulky sticks usually in trees but sometimes on cliffs. The nests are often decorated with leaves and other vegetation. 2-3 eggs are laid in april - May and incubated in about 36 days.

Red Tailed hawk - Buteo jamaicensis
Length - Male 19" Female 25"
Distribution - North america and parts of southern Canada

Ferruginous Hawk - Buteo regalis
Length - Male 28" Female 30"
Distribution - Open dry country from Eastern Washington, southern alberta, south to Nevada, New Mexico and North West Texas

Ferruginous Hawks inhabit open country perching on mounds when trees and posts are not available. It is a soaring bird of the plains. They winter in open woodland and around farmland with scattered trees and bushes. They are almost entirely migratory in the north of the breding range and only partially migratory from the the southern range. Food is made up of 80 per cent medium sized mammals, in particular ground squirrels, rabbits and prairies dogs. The other 20 per cent are birds.

Nesting in trees when available (they may also nest in bushes and rock faces), the nest is contructed of leaves, bark, twigs, roots, dung and bone ! 1 to 8 eggs are laid from mid April to August. Incubation takes about 28 to 33 days. They build large nests which can become huge with repeated use. The youngsters then leave the nest at 38 to 40 days.

Over the last 40 years reports have been made of their regional decline. This is primarily as a result of agriculture, cultivation, grazing and clearance of their habitat. They are highly sensitive to human interference which results in nests and eggs being abandoned. Numbers and breeding sucess is clearly limited to population of prey animals.