Zone-tailed Hawk
A species of Buzzards and Buteo Hawks Scientific name : Buteo albonotatus Genus : Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
Zone-tailed Hawk, A species of Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
Botanical name: Buteo albonotatus
Genus: Buzzards and Buteo Hawks
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Description People often ask General Info
Photo By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Description
The zone-tailed hawk is a fairly large but slender Buteo hawk. Grown birds are 46 to 56 cm (18 to 22 in) in length with a wingspan of about 117–140 cm (46–55 in). The zone-tailed is comparable in length and wingspan to common large Buteos found to the north such as Swainson's and red-tailed hawk, but may weigh considerably less. Their body mass can range from 565–1,080 g (1.246–2.381 lb). In measurements, the sexes are close in size, but the female, at an average of 900 g (2.0 lb), is much heavier and bulkier than the male, at an average of 637 g (1.404 lb). Among standard measurements, the wing chord is 36.5–46 cm (14.4–18.1 in), the fairly long tail is 19.4–23.5 cm (7.6–9.3 in) and the tarsus is 6.7–7.8 cm (2.6–3.1 in). The adult plumage is mostly blackish. The notable exception is that the flight feathers are barred with lighter gray, which can appear solid silver-gray from a distance. The tail has three or four bands (the "zones" of the common name), white from below and light gray from above, of which the one second from the tip is particularly broad and conspicuous. The cere and legs are yellow, the lores are light gray and a light touch of white may be seen on the face. Immatures are similar except for small white spots on the breast and tails with narrow gray and black bands and a broad dark tip. The zone-tailed hawk adults resemble the common black hawk but are distinctly more slender in flight and overall small, and they have more white bars on the tail. Other Buteo hawks in their dark phase, especially the broad-winged hawk, may appear similar but often have more silvery coloration on the wings and are broader-winged. The call is a loud scream, a somewhat typical Buteo call, dropping in pitch at the end, kra kree-kree-kree-kree. In at least some birds, there is an abrupt rise in pitch (like a break to a falsetto voice) in the middle and an equally abrupt drop back down. They are most often heard vocalizing when engaging in breeding displays at the beginning of the mating season. When disturbed at the nest, they may utter a long, lower-pitched raaaaauu. 
Size
46-53 cm (18-21 in)
Life Expectancy
4-7 years
Nest Placement
Tree
Clutch Size
1 - 3 eggs
Incubation Period
1 brood
Number of Broods
28 - 34 days
Nestling Period
41 - 53 days
Feeding Habits
Zone-tailed Hawk predominantly feed on birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, occasionally fish. They employ varied hunting tactics, such as mimicking vultures to surprise prey or using landscape features to remain concealed. Preferential meals include lizards and ground-dwelling animals like squirrels and rabbits. In certain habitats, zone-tailed Hawk also targets quails, woodpeckers, nightjars, jays, thrushes, and other passerines.
Habitat
Zone-tailed Hawk primarily dwells in a variety of landscapes including riparian forests and woodlands, desert uplands, mixed-conifer forests, and mountainous terrains. They show a preference for environments featuring streams, riparian trees, cliffs, and vegetation such as mixed broadleaf, cottonwood-willow, and pine forests. Thriving from sea level to montane regions, zone-tailed Hawk is adaptable to both wet and arid climates. In the southwestern U.S., zone-tailed Hawk is found at altitudes up to 7,600 feet, utilizing rocky canyons and cliffs for nesting, and venturing into pine forests for foraging. Their habitat range extends from the southwestern U.S. through Mexico to Argentina, favoring similar habitats across borders.
Nest Behavior
The pair build their nest together, synchronizing with the breeding season. Zone-tailed Hawk displays a conventional egg-laying pattern and both parents partake in nurturing the eggs and offspring, sharing duties from incubation to feeding.
Nest Characteristics
Zone-tailed Hawk's nest is high in a tall tree crotch, often an oak or pine. It is constructed by both sexes from sticks, lined with bark, leaves, pine needles, and moss. Dimensions can vary; a typical one is about 23.6 inches wide, 19.7 inches tall, with an inner cup 8.3 inches wide and 3.9 inches deep.
Dite type
Avivorous
People often ask
General Info
Behavior
Zone-tailed Hawk predominantly exhibits soaring and gliding flight patterns, often resembling a turkey vulture in its wing posture and dihedral flight style. It engages in intricate courtship rituals involving a series of aerial displays like figure-8 loops, barrel rolls, and talon-locking dives. Habitat interaction is characterized by nesting in the proximity of other zone-tailed Hawk, with adults collaboratively sharing incubation and chick-feeding responsibilities. Zone-tailed Hawk is distinguished by its ability to mimic the flight pattern of vultures, which serves as a unique hunting strategy to deceive prey by appearing less threatening.
Distribution Area
Zone-tailed hawks range from parts of southern Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas almost throughout inland Mexico and the central portions of Central America down into eastern Colombia, Ecuador and, more sporadically, into Peru, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and northern Argentina. In winter they generally withdraw from the U.S. and northernmost Mexico, with these populations wintering mostly in Oaxaca and the Yucatán Peninsula. The hawks of Central America may be seasonally migratory, although their movements are not well known. Zone-tails sometimes wander out of their normal range, and the bird was once recorded in Nova Scotia. They can adapt to various habitats across their broad range, including both closed and open ones and wet and dry ones. Often, the largest numbers are found in rocky areas with access to water. They often reside in coniferous or pine-oak forests as well as timbered canyonland, hilly riverine woods, dry open boscage and scrub, humid forests and overgrown marshes. They may forage over ranches and even semi-desert, but always need at least scattered tree thickets for nesting. They may be distributed in elevation from sea level to 3,000 m (9,800 ft), though are mainly found below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) in the north and below 500 m (1,600 ft) in the southern reaches of the breeding range.
Species Status
Not globally threatened.
Photo By Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren , used under CC-BY-2.0 /Cropped and compressed from original 
Scientific Classification
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