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Hawks are medium-sized diurnal birds. You can find them in almost every part of the world, except in the Antarctica region.
Interestingly, these birds are solitary and enjoy living in isolation. But occasionally, they live together and exist as social animals.
Now, here’s the question.
What is a group of hawks called?
A group of hawks is called various names. But the most commonly used name is “a kettle.” This creature, in a group setting, is also referred to as a cast or boil. So, you can choose one out of the three given names.
It has been reported that the name “kettle” originates from a flock of hawks. In a group setting, hawks resembled a boiling soup in a kettle, pot, or cauldron. And that’s owing to the thermal current’s bowl-like shape, particularly when the birds are soaring.
So, that’s what a group of hawks is called. But there’s more you need to know. Keep reading!
Why Do Hawks Circle?
Hawks migrate mainly during the day. As the sun heats the earth, some thermal current of wind tends to rise from the ground upwards. Thus, heated air from the land and other topographic structures tend to drift upwards.
Flying hawks at higher altitudes and cooler air can feel this rising column of warm air called thermals. When a hawk senses a thermal current, it begins to fly in a circular direction.
In addition, other hawks can join in the circular motion. The presence of the thermals helps them to warm themselves up and conserve energy for their long flight.
Where Do Hawks Live?
Hawks are virtually found in all parts of the world. These predatory birds make their nest in treetops, mountains, hills, lands, and moist environments.
They live where they can easily access their prey. Hawks prey on small animals like fishes, rats, snakes, lizards, squirrels, etc.
The United States is home to a range of hawk species. And there are over 200 hawk species globally, but the United States boasts over 25 of those species alone.
A Handy Tip: Bird-watching contributes massively to the United States of America’s national economy. The country’s annual revenue from birdwatching is $36 billion alone.
4 Ways To Attracting Hawks To Your Backyard
The thought of attracting a predatory bird-like a hawk to a property won’t appeal to most people. Why would they allow such birds into their backyard to prey on other innocent birds? And yes, you’re right to think that way. But the truth is you might not regret attracting hawks to your backyard.
These birds could prey on snakes and other unwanted guests around your property. They are also quite fascinating to watch. So, if you’re an avid bird watcher, attracting the birds to your property will benefit you.
If you’re looking for tips to attract more hawks to your backyard, check these out.
Consider planting sturdy and tall trees:
Having tall trees in your backyard is one of the easiest ways to attract hawks. It will serve as a roosting area. Additionally, the birds can hide from and pounce on their prey with great success.
Tempt the birds with food:
If you want hawks to come around, tempt them with food. But ensure your lawn is looking neat. The reason is to ensure the birds can spot the food you have left for them from afar.
A Handy Tip: Ensure you don’t stay too close to where the food is. Otherwise, the bird might spot you and run away or refuse to stop by.
Tempt the birds with food:
Like food, water can also get hawks to visit your yard. You can fill up a bath of water and place far from where you intend to watch the birds. Sooner or later, you’ll find a bunch of hawks in your backyard drinking from the bath.
Maintain a natural and quiet backyard:
Even if you have food and water, but your backyard is noisy, you won’t find any hawks around. These birds are quite smart. They also enjoy being in an area where they don’t feel threatened.
So, turn off the music, try out natural landscape techniques and remove any material or object that could scare the birds away.
Why Hawks Enjoy Living Together
Hawks are mainly solitary animals, but when they come together, then it’s for some special benefits. These include boosting their chances of survival in the wild. They’re afraid of owls, eagles, and crows.
Additionally, coming together as a group increases hawks’ chances of finding prey and food with ease. Their coming together also gives them a chance to mate and produce their kinds.
Mating In hawk
Most hawks have a one-lifetime mating partner. A male hawk finds and attaches to a particular female hawk mate with that female hawk when necessary. It will interest you to know that a hawk can only choose another mating partner when one dies.
During mating, both lovers fly to very high altitudes. In the process, they’ll perform some tumbling and diving movements similar to the circular thermal movement but in slower motions this time.
The male flies typically above the female and gradually touches the female with his beak or claw. The male can toss food particles to the female. Furthermore, they both dive down fast and perch on the surfaces where they can now mate.
After successful mating, both partners will be involved in building a nest to prepare for their chicks.
Hawks Intelligence And Sight
Recent studies by biologists suggest that hawks are one of the most intelligent birds on the planet.
The report shows that hawks have excellent eyesight due to a large number of photoreceptors in their retina. An average human eye has about 200,000 of these receptors, while hawks have 1,000,000.
In addition, hawks’ eyes can detect ultraviolet, polarized, and magnetic waves. Their eyes also have good color receptors. These and more enable the hawk to see its prey hundreds of miles above in the sky.
Are Hawk And Falcon The Same?
These two amazing birds are very similar in look and scientific classification. They are both called raptor birds, meaning they are prey birds.
However, both birds aren’t the same. Their differences can be seen in their body sizes, the pattern of feather color, and food choices.
Falcons have more enormous wings and small body sizes. Plus, they fly higher, and they are regarded as the fastest birds. In contrast, the hawks have a larger body size, smaller wings and don’t fly higher like the falcons.
Lastly, falcons get a grip of their prey with their beaks, while hawks use the paws of their feet to secure their game.
Can You Keep A Hawk As A Pet?
Tamed hawks can be caged in a wired housing and fed regularly. However, some countries prohibit taming or keeping hawks as pets.
For example, in the United States of America, it is punishable to keep a hawk as a pet. While in Spain, only hawks that are born in captivity can be allowed pets. Special documentation is given to this effect.
Some Interesting Facts About Hawks
Hawks are amazing creatures that people enjoy watching. Additionally, their mate, look, and fist on their prey sets them apart from many birds. Here are some interesting facts about hawks.
- Hawks are found on all the continents of the world, except Antarctica.
- They are monogamous, meaning hawks live with just one mating partner all their life span, except in the case of death.
- Hawks have excellent eyesight. They can see objects eight times more than a normal human eye. Wow
- Hawks’ sense of hearing is one of their key traits, but they have a poor sense of smell.
- Hawks are active during the day and are called diurnal birds.
- During hunting, they can fly at a speed of 150mi/hr. To catch their prey. They can hunt both on land and air.
- The average lifespan of hawks in the wild is between 10-20 years. But they can live up to 30-40 years when they are tamed.
- Unlike other animals, hawks can see color.
- Male hawks do some acrobatics in the air to attract the female before mating.
- The female hawk usually is larger than the male.
- The red tail hawk is the largest of the hawks.
Conclusions
Hawks are incredible birds, and thus, deserve all the love they can get. In the United States, bird-watching alone generates $36 billion into the nation’s purse annually. That should tell you how crucial birds are to the entire nation.
We also shared tips on how to attract hawks to a backyard. So, if you’re seeking such ideas, get tips from this post to make it happen.
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