when is mating season for red tail hawks
Red-tailed hawk
As is the case with many raptors , the red - tailed hawk displays sexual dimorphism in size , as females are up to 25 % larger than males . As is typical in large raptors , frequently reported mean body mass for Red - tailed Hawks are somewhat higher than expansive research reveals . Part of this weight is highly seasonally variable and due to clinal variation , male red - tailed hawks may weigh from 690 to 1,300 g ( 1.52 to 2.87 lb ) and in females between 900 and 2,000 g ( 2.0 and 4.4 lb ) . However , research from nine studies occurring at migration sites in the United States and two breeding studies , one from the smallest race in Puerto Rico , the other from larger races in Wisconsin show that males weigh a mean of 837 g ( 1.845 lb ) and females weigh a mean of 1,040.7 g ( 2.294 lb ) , about 15 % lighter than prior species - wide published weights . The heaviest surveyed weights came from migrants in Cape May , New Jersey , where females weighed a mean of 1,278 g ( 2.818 lb ) , males a mean of 990.8 g ( 2.184 lb ) . The lightest were from the breeding population in forest openings of Puerto Rico , where the females and males weighed an average of 1,023 g ( 2.255 lb ) and 795 g ( 1.753 lb ) , respectively , also the highest size sexual dimorphism in the species . Size variation in body mass reveals that the red - tailed hawks typically varies only a modest amount , racial variation in average weights of great horned owls show that mean body mass is nearly twice ( the heaviest race is about 36 % heavier than the lightest known race on average ) as variable as that of the hawk ( where the heaviest race is only just over 18 % heavier on average than the lightest ) . Males can reportedly measure 45 to 60 cm ( 18 to 24 in ) in total length , females measuring 48 to 65 cm ( 19 to 26 in ) long . The wingspan can range from 105 to 141 cm ( 41 to 56 in ) and , in the standard scientific method of measuring wing size , the wing chord is 325.1 -- 444.5 mm ( 12.80 -- 17.50 in ) long . The tail measures 188 to 258.7 mm ( 7.40 to 10.19 in ) in length . The exposed culmen was reported to range from 21.7 to 30.2 mm ( 0.85 to 1.19 in ) and the tarsus averaged 74.7 -- 95.8 mm ( 2.94 -- 3.77 in ) . The middle toe ( excluding talon ) can range from 38.3 to 53.8 mm ( 1.51 to 2.12 in ) , with the hallux - claw ( the talon of the rear toe , which has evolved to be the largest in accipitrids ) measuring from 24.1 to 33.6 mm ( 0.95 to 1.32 in ) in length . Characteristic
As is the case with many raptors , the red - tailed hawk displays sexual dimorphism in size , as females are up to 25 % larger than males . As is typical in large raptors , frequently reported mean body mass for Red - tailed Hawks are somewhat higher than expansive research reveals . Part of this weight is highly seasonally variable and due to clinal variation , male red - tailed hawks may weigh from 690 to 1,300 g ( 1.52 to 2.87 lb ) and in females between 900 and 2,000 g ( 2.0 and 4.4 lb ) . However , research from nine studies occurring at migration sites in the United States and two breeding studies , one from the smallest race in Puerto Rico , the other from larger races in Wisconsin show that males weigh a mean of 837 g ( 1.845 lb ) and females weigh a mean of 1,040.7 g ( 2.294 lb ) , about 15 % lighter than prior species - wide published weights . The heaviest surveyed weights came from migrants in Cape May , New Jersey , where females weighed a mean of 1,278 g ( 2.818 lb ) , males a mean of 990.8 g ( 2.184 lb ) . The lightest were from the breeding population in forest openings of Puerto Rico , where the females and males weighed an average of 1,023 g ( 2.255 lb ) and 795 g ( 1.753 lb ) , respectively , also the highest size sexual dimorphism in the species . Size variation in body mass reveals that the red - tailed hawks typically varies only a modest amount , racial variation in average weights of great horned owls show that mean body mass is nearly twice ( the heaviest race is about 36 % heavier than the lightest known race on average ) as variable as that of the hawk ( where the heaviest race is only just over 18 % heavier on average than the lightest ) . Males can reportedly measure 45 to 60 cm ( 18 to 24 in ) in total length , females measuring 48 to 65 cm ( 19 to 26 in ) long . The wingspan can range from 105 to 141 cm ( 41 to 56 in ) and , in the standard scientific method of measuring wing size , the wing chord is 325.1 -- 444.5 mm ( 12.80 -- 17.50 in ) long . The tail measures 188 to 258.7 mm ( 7.40 to 10.19 in ) in length . The exposed culmen was reported to range from 21.7 to 30.2 mm ( 0.85 to 1.19 in ) and the tarsus averaged 74.7 -- 95.8 mm ( 2.94 -- 3.77 in ) . The middle toe ( excluding talon ) can range from 38.3 to 53.8 mm ( 1.51 to 2.12 in ) , with the hallux - claw ( the talon of the rear toe , which has evolved to be the largest in accipitrids ) measuring from 24.1 to 33.6 mm ( 0.95 to 1.32 in ) in length . Characteristic