Red-Tailed Hawk Captured on Camera

Reader Rob Aekins was out and about this morning at Brandegee Lake in Waterford, and he wasn’t the only one. He took this beautiful picture of a red-tailed hawk perched on a branch.

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According to the Wildlife of Connecticut website, red-tailed hawks are a common site in the Nutmeg state. Here are some interesting facts from the site:

• In New England, red-tailed hawks breed sometime around March
• The male and female pair perform aerial acrobatics during courtship
• Red-tailed hawks mate for life, but if one dies, the other will seek another mate
• They use the same nesting areas for years
• They prefer to nest high, around 50 or 60 feet above the ground, in tall trees or on cliffs
• Male red-tailed hawks will do some egg incubation, but mostly feeds the female while she sits on the nest
• Both care for the chicks

Have you ever seen a red-tailed hawk before? What other kinds of wildlife have you encountered around town?

Photo Credit: Rob Aekins