Jim Shultz, NPS
Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)
This common Sonoran Desert hawk is often seen in saguaro forests. Unlike most other hawks, the Harris’s hawk lives and hunts in social groups. Most groups consist of a breeding pair and several non-breeding adult birds that help in feeding the young, defending the nest, and hunting. They hunt in groups to increase hunting success, sometimes surrounding prey to flush it out of deep brush.
Length: 20 in. Wingspan: 42 in.
Diet: Rodents, rabbits, snakes, lizards, and birds
Did You Know?
"Don't call ME pig!" Javelinas are able to eat spiny prickly pear pads with no obvious harm to their mouths, stomachs or intestinal tracts due to an enzyme in their saliva. Javelinas are not true pigs, they are peccaries, which are native to the Americas. True pigs are native to Europe and Asia. Wild pigs and boars are descended from true pigs brought over on boats to the new world.