HARRIS HAWK
(Parabuteo Unicinctus)

The Harris Hawk or Bay-Winged Hawk was discovered by the great American Audubon, and is said to have been named after his friend Colonel Harris who was with him when he first saw it.
In the wild they are seen sitting in pairs on tall posts and can be quite tame if approached with care.

This bird is quite common in a large area from the South American continent spreading northwards into the United States of America.

Its favoured habitat is sparse woodlands or semi -desert.

The Harris Hawk builds a simple platform nest of sticks, twigs, and roots usually lined with moss. These nests are rarely more than 30 feet above the ground where they lay between 2 and 4 eggs. The young leave the nest at about 40 days old.

In its natural environment the diet of the Harris Hawk appears to be mainly small to medium sized rodents.
It can take mammals up to the size of a full grown rabbit.
There is some evidence that it also eats carrion when prey is in short supply.