First hawk is an adult female passage bird. She was adult and have very bad condition when my friend get her (from some keeper that catch her and keep her in small cage). There are lots of defect with her… there are scar on her face and somehow her nerve is not in good condition anymore.

Since he have bad experience with human, it take a month for me to manned and train her. Even after a month, she is still hesitate to come sometimes… (by the way, she is very moody). Luckily after 2 month she show her true form and she become an impressive ‘hunter’… I never expect a hawk with the condition to become a fierce hunter like her… She is very brave to catch a very large moorhen… the moorhen is even larger than her… she try to grab the moorhen but because of the size, the moorhen manage to drag her to the pond nearby and she nearly drown. She is also fast enough to catch a common mynah. She ‘run away’ few month back… due to a pair of kites that chase her away from my friend house. (I guess the pair have some nest nearby that is why there are more aggressive toward any other bird of prey in that area)… I wish her luck and hope she have a good life out there… and I am sure she will… since she is a passage bird… and compared to the time she come to me, her condition is totally different.

The second hawk that I train this year is an adult male passage hawk. He is very nice, I think this is the nicest Crested Goshawk that I encounter so far…She is sweet and fast… very good behavior… She fly free by the first week I train her (the owner sent to me the second day the trapper catch her)… and she went to hunting the second week! I suspect she is the record for all passage crested Goshawk (because normally it take more than 2 week for hawk to be able to go hunting). At first the owner plan to breed her with the first hawk that I train. They get along very well and always call to each other. Too bad the female left.

The third crested goshawk that I train this year is a young passage male hawk. She is more stubborn and only eat on my fist on the forth day I get her! Having said that, by the seventh day, she is very calm and socialize well with everyone… the different is that she didn’t like to sit on the bow perch… but on the ground… the owner take it back and will continue to fly her… deep inside me, I think she have a big potential to be a fierce hunter looking at the way she come to my fist and grab the meat…
And till the forth hawk coming… I wish all falconer out there good luck… (I will update this ‘training story” again if I have the chances to train the forth one this year)

However, since my budget is very small and I also thinking of getting the african hawk eagle, it make me a bit confuse. By the way, I received another quotation for African hawk eagle… which is USD 4800 per head C&F my nearest airport. It seem like if we have money, there are lots of thing we can get..

Back to the African Goshawk, I proceed to send application letter to my local veterinary department. I am not very sure if currently my country have allowed import from Africa or not… if not, then no choice but I have to wait… until the bird flu is really over.

During checking out the species (African Goshawk), seem like they are very capable and willing bird. One of posting in international falconry forum mention that they can take a guinea fowl which weight more than a kilogram… even the hawk weight is not even half a kilogram! That is very impressive.

One more things is that this species seem like capable of catching up with the common mynah! There are lots of common mynah in my location and with this species, it would be a great outing for me.

Some may ask what is the different (hunting) capabilities between African Goshawk and Asian crested Goshawk… well, their size is about the same. I haven’t fly any African Goshawk, but I do fly Crested Goshawk. If African Goshawk is capable of getting all species that many falconer in Africa talk about, then the differences of hunting capabilities between them are large! (having said that, in some location like Taiwan, the Crested Goshawk is larger compared to Crested Goshawk in South East Asian) Crested Goshawk in South East Asian is smaller and the quarries that they take also smaller.

Crested Goshawk rarely able to get common mynah. The only way for them to get it is if the condition is very upperhand for them like the mynah is not ready, they are wet etc.

Well, lets hope I can get some African Goshawk in my collection… and you can hear more comment about the comparation.

Here is a video of hunting with Crested Goshawk:

Enjoy!

Based on the IUCN, this species is in lower risk/least concern.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000–1,000,000 km². The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population size criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., less than 10,000 mature individuals in conjunction with appropriate decline rates and subpopulation qualifiers). Global population trends have not been quantified; there is evidence of a population decline (Ferguson-Lees et al. 2001), but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

I found that there are no photo avaiable in the net, so I would like to share with you how they look like:

To me, It seem that Mayer Goshawk are similar to Northern Goshawk. And based on the information that I get, actually the measurement of mayer goshawk also similar to this largest goshawk.

Based on the Raptors of the World, the measurement of Mayer goshawk is 43-53CM in their total length, 86-105CM in their wingspan and their tail measurement is 20-24CM.

Here is the ‘zoom’ /clearer photo of Meyer Goshawk.

(Source: The new castle record) 

Ultralight. Floating on the wind, this glider is powered by wings that flap.

Across the valleys of Craig County, red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicenus) are soaring on the currents of air rising above the mountain valleys. Perhaps it is the envy of such beauty that brought man his first thoughts of flight. Today in Craig County, gliders of different sorts but still similar fly the blue skies above New Castle.

While red-tailed Hawks are migratory, they do settle in the mid Atlantic region to winter here. That is why they are more noted in the area, according the Virginia Wildlife November 2006 magazine. A certain sign of fall and winter is the lazy circle of a red-tailed hawk against the clear, blue sky. They soar above the horizon looking for a meal of small game that can include the occasional chicken. That ominous misfortune gives the red-tailed hawk the name “chicken hawk,” as well.

The red-tailed’s prey generally is other birds like doves, crows, small ducks and sometimes songbirds. They also eat snakes, voles, mice and rats but also eat squirrels and rabbits, earning them disrespect from hunters of small game animals. They fall from the sky and grasp the victims in their powerful talons, often going to a nearby tree to ingest the entire animal. Later hawks regurgitate indigestible parts like fur, feathers and bones. Make no mistake, however; federal law protects the red-tail like other raptors. Killing one can bring a stiff fine and even jail time.

A woman who wishes to remain anonymous tells a story of a bird feeder full of songbirds at her home. A red-tailed hawk swept from the sky and stole away a cardinal. The hawk’s sudden and large appearance stunned her and her two children. The children were distressed as a few red feathers floated lazily through the air where the cardinal had once been feeding merrily with its companions. The woman’s 6-year-old son remarked earnestly, “I guess that is why they call it a bird feeder.”

The average red-tailed hawk is 19-23 inches long and can have a wingspan up to 4 feet. Plumage varies but is usually brown to grayish with a white breast. The distinguishing feature is the hawk’s red-brown (rufous), square-cut tail, thus the name red-tailed hawk. These hawks range all over North America from the seaside to the desert to the plains.

So as you travel the highways and by ways of Craig, that large brownish bird, light-colored underneath the wings soaring in the sky is most likely a hawk if it appears square and compact. Don’t be confused by the cousin of the hawk also on the hunt, but for carrion – the buzzard. Color and shape are the notable features in defining the difference between the two.

The Mountain Hawk Eagle (Spizaetus nipalensis) is a bird of prey. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae.

Mountain Hawk Eagle breeds in southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka to China and Japan. It is a bird of mountain woodland, which builds a stick nest in a tree and lays usually a single egg.

Mountain Hawk Eagle is a medium-large raptor at about 70-72cm in length. It has a prominent crest.

The typical adult has brown upperparts and pale underparts, with barring on the undersides of the flight feathers and tail. The breast and belly and underwing coverts are heavily streaked. The wings are broad with a curved trailing edge, and are held in a shallow V in flight.

The heavier underpart streaking and wing shape help to distinguish this species from the similar Changeable Hawk Eagle, (Spizaetus cirrhatus).

Sexes are similar, but young birds are often whiter-headed. The Sri Lankan subspecies (S. n. kelaarti) is smaller and has unstreaked buff underwing coverts. Mountain Hawk Eagle eats small mammals, birds and reptiles.

 

I do some search in the internet and found these information of red tail hawk.

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(source: http://www.desertusa.com/aug96/du_hawk.html)

The Red-tailed Hawk ranges throughout North America to the central Alaska and northern Canada, and south as far as the mountains of Panama. Although not truly migratory, they do adjust seasonally to areas of the most abundant prey . In winter many of the northern birds move south,

Based on general body shape and flight habits, hawks are classified into three different groups (genera): the Accipiters, the Falcons and the Buteos.

The Sharp-shinned Hawk, the Cooper’s Hawk and the Goshawk are Accipiters. They have long tails and short, rounded wings that enable them to dart through and around trees in pursuit of other birds, their principal prey. Typically, they fly low with a series of rapid wing beats followed by a brief period of sailing, then another series of wing beats. Accipiters are associated with brush and timbered areas.

Falcons prefer open country. They include the Prairie Falcon, the Peregrine Falcon (Duck Hawk), the Merlin (Pigeon Hawk), and the dainty little American Kestrel, also called the Sparrow Hawk. Falcons have a streamlined body, long, pointed wings and long tails. A series of strong, rapid wing beats gives them extremely fast flight in open country, and their swiftness allows them to overtake and capture other birds on the wing.

The American Kestrel is the smallest of our hawks and feeds mainly on mice and insects. It is the only one of the falcons that hovers over its intended prey. Because of its habitat and range, it is also the only Falcon or Accipiter that most people are likely to see.

The Buteos are the largest of the hawks. They are the broad-winged, broad-tailed soaring hawks that are more readily seen because of their habit of circling high in the air or perching in dead trees or on telephone poles along the road. They include the Red-tailed, the Red-shouldered, the Swainson’s, the Rough-legged and the Ferruginous hawks.

Description

The Red-tail is the largest hawk, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. As with most raptors, the female is nearly 1/3 larger than the male and may have a wing span of 56 inches. This species shows a great deal of individual variation in plumage.

The adult has a rufous-colored tail that may or may not have a black terminal bar. Adults are dark brown on the back and the top of their wings. The underside of the bird is usually light with a dark belly band, and a cinnamon wash on the neck and chest. . Immatures resemble the adults except their tail is brown with dark bars; the red- tail molts in during its second year.

The adult Red-tailed Hawk is easily identified, for when it leaves its perch on slow, measured wing beats, or turns while soaring overhead, the broad, rounded tail shows a rich, russet red, hence the name. Within its range, its frequent soaring and loud voice are a good pointer.

Vocalization

The Red-tailed Hawk has hoarse and rasping 2- to 3-econd scream that is most commonly heard while soaring. They are loudest when defending their. When parents leave the nest, the young utter a loud wailing “klee-uk,” repeated several times – this is a food cry.

Tail

The Red-tailed Hawk has a broad, rounded tail that shows a rich, russet red.

Eyes

The eyesight of a hawk is eight times as powerful as a human’s.

Behavior

The Red-tailed Hawk is the most widespread and familiar member of the American Buteos (large soaring hawks). They nest in the month of March in tall tress. Like all other Buteos, it does not fly fast but soars at high altitudes using its keen eyesight to spot the slightest movement in the grass below. It is an aggressive bird and vigorously defends its territory, especially during the winter months when hunting is difficult

Habitat

The Red-tailed Hawk is usually found in grasslands or marsh- shrub habitats, but is very adaptable bird, being equally at home in deserts and forests, and at varying heights above sea level.

Food & Hunting

The Red-tailed Hawk is a most opportunistic hunter. Its diet is varied, but there is conclusive evidence now that 85 to 90 % is composed of small rodents, with rabbits, snakes and lizards included. Where there are large numbers of pheasant, these become the food of choice in spring and summer. Like all hawks, its talons are its main weapons.

Breeding

Mating and nest building begin in early spring, usually in March and continue through May. This is accompanied by spectacular aerial displays by both males and females. Circling and soaring to great heights, they fold their wings and plummet to treetop level, repeating this display as much as five or six times.

Nests are located from 35 to 75 feet high in the forks of large trees. The nest is large, flat, shallow and made of sticks and twigs about 1/2 inch in diameter. Both males and females assist in nest construction. Nest sites may be used from year to year, since there is strong evidence that hawks mate for life. If the old nest is wind damaged, layers of new nesting material are added each year.

The female usually lays 2 dull-white to bluish-white eggs that are marked with a variety of irregular reddish spots and splotches. Incubation takes 28-32 days and is maintained almost entirely by the female. During this period the male hunts for both of them, bringing her food to the nest.

When hatched, the young are covered with white down. They grow slowly and require much food, which keeps both parents busy. They remain in the nest for up to 48 days. During the last 10 days or so the young, which now appear as large as the parent birds, practice flapping their wings and balancing in the wind on the edge of the nest, preparing for the days when they will launch themselves into the air.

The young fledge at about 45 days. Red-tails typically do not begin breeding until their third year.

Conservation

In California, state and federal laws protect all raptors. Because of their inexperience hunting, juvenile birds may be seen eating road-killed animals. They may even kill chickens, and despite this rare occurrence, the Red-tail is known throughout the country as a “chicken hawk.” As a consequence, dead hawks hanging from fences and lying under trees and power poles are mute evidence that shooters, not understanding the economic or esthetic importance of raptors, or perhaps unaware of protective laws, still kill them indiscriminately. In the rare case of an individual raptor or hawk that engages in active predation on domestic birds or animals, such a bird may be judiciously removed in accordance with current regulations.

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(source:http://www.fcps.k12.va.us/StratfordLandingES/Ecology/mpages/red-tailed_hawk.htm)

Red-tailed Hawks are most often seen soaring high above the ground, looking for food. They are very difficult to identify unless they come closer to the earth.

This raptor grows up to 25 inches long and can weigh up to four pounds (heavy for a bird; remember, they have hollow bones!). Its wingspan can reach four feet.

Red-tailed Hawks are large, stocky birds. They are brown with a white breast and a rust-colored tail. If you can get close enough, the tail is the best way to identify them. Young Red-tailed Hawks are more dull in color, have more streaks, and are missing the red in their tails.

Red-tailed Hawks live in forests near open country. Nests are usually built near the edge of a stream, lake, or field.

Although they eat mostly mammals, there is a great variety of other animals Red-tailed Hawks will prey upon, including: snakes, turtles, frogs, lizards, salamanders, toads, ducks, bobwhite, crows, woodpeckers, starlings, doves, Red-winged Blackbirds, kingfishers, robins, owls, other birds, crayfish, centipedes, spiders, grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, earthworms, and fish.

Red-tailed Hawks will also eat roadkill and other carrion (previously dead, but fairly fresh animals).

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Here is some more information from the Hawk conservation sites. It is very usefull and brief.

(source: http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/redtail.shtml)

Red-tailed Hawk – Buteo jamaicensis

Range

The Red-tailed Hawk ranges throughout North America to the northern limit of the tree line in Alaska and Canada, and south as far as the mountains of Panama. It is also present in much of the West Indies.
Throughout most of its range it is a most adaptable bird, being equally at home in deserts and forests, and at varying heights above sea level. In the southern parts of its range, however, it is a bird of the mountains, in pine and oak forest.

Diet

The Red-tailed Hawk is a most opportunistic feeder. Its diet is varied, with rabbits and small and medium sized rodents being preferred. Where there are large numbers of pheasant, these become the food of choice in spring and summer. Other prey taken includes snakes and lizards.
In captivity in winter an average redtail will eat about 135g (4-5oz) daily.

Voice

The usual cry is a two to three second hoarse, rasping scream. that has a little of the steam whistle about it.
This is a scream of annoyance or anger, usually heard when an enemy or a rival hawk comes into its range. It is usually heard when the bird is soaring or perched, loudly and persistently during territorial disputes, and sometimes when it is hunting.
When parents leave the nest, the young utter a loud wailing klee-uk, repeated several times – this is a food cry.

Status and behaviour in the wild

The Red-tailed Hawk is, for a member of the buzzard family, a powerful and husky species, with the widest ecological tolerance of any North American Hawk, being absent only from tundra and deep forest.
It is an aggressive bird and vigorously defends its territory, especially during the winter months when hunting is difficult and up to seven of the nine hours of daylight are spent hunting.
The pair bond is strong, even outside the breeding season, and the large female will defend her smaller mate against aggressors.
1-3 eggs are laid, and incubated for 28-32 days. The shells are hard, and hatching takes 24-48 hours from pipping. The young fledge at about 45 days.
The Red-tailed Hawk is a grouping of 14 sub-species, each of which is more or less specific to a geographical area, and differs from the others in size, markings etc..
Colouring varies (even within sub-species) from this very dark appearance to a very pale form, so field identification is more satisfactory from the birds’ behaviour than from appearance alone. Within its range, its frequent soaring and loud voice are a good pointer.

Okay, I think the information from the site is somehow able to show us some brief information about Red Tail Hawk. I personally haven’t seen any Red Tail Hawk in real life, but really hope that I can have a chance some time in future.

Here is some information that I get from the net about Black Shouldered Kite – Elanus axillaris:

(sourece:http://www.sa-venues.com/wildlife/birds_black_shouldered_kite.htm)

A common, grey and white raptor with a black shoulder. The upperparts are bluish grey, with black wing coverts which appear as a distinctive, black shoulder patch. The underparts are white. There is a small black mask around the eye. Young birds have a reddish-brown wash on the head and breast and the feathers of the upperparts are tipped white. The bill is short with a sharp, hooked tip to the upper mandible. The bill is black, while the feet and legs, and the cere (skin at the base of the bill) are bright yellow. The eye is dark red in adult black-shouldered kites and brownish-orange in immature birds.

Name: Elanus axillaris

Habitat: Although found in timbered country, they are mainly birds of the grasslands.

Size: Length: 35 to 38 cm Wingspan: Between 80 and 95 cm.

Diet Description: Insects, rodents and small birds.

Socialisation: Able to hunt by hovering on upturned wings about 50 meters above the ground. When prey is sighted, the kite “parachutes” gracefully straight down into the grass. Black-shouldered Kites are highly nomadic – moving about in search of prey.

Reproduction: Breeding occurs all year round with a peak in the summer months. The nest is a small platform of sticks about 30cm in diameter, which is placed near the top of a tree in a fork.

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(sourece: http://www.amonline.net.au/wild_kids/birds/black_shouldered_kite.htm)

Black-shouldered Kite

Black-shouldered Kites are small birds of prey that live in woodlands, grasslands, paddocks and city parks over most of Australia. They are pale grey in colour with a white head and black shoulder patch. They have red eyes, sharp, hooked beaks and feet with three toes facing forwards and one toe facing backwards. Black-shouldered Kites call with a hoarse wheezing sound.

Common name: Black-shouldered Kite
Scientific name: Elanus axillaris
Black-shouldered Kite’s have red eyes and a sharp hooked beak.

Black-shouldered Kites sit in tall dead trees or fly high above the ground in the early morning and late afternoon looking for mice, lizards, snakes, frogs and insects. When they find a prey item they drop silently onto it and grab it in their sharp talons, killing it quickly. They tear their prey into pieces with their sharp beak and swallow it.

Black-shouldered Kites make nests high up in the trees from a loose cup of sticks and leaves. Females lay three to four white eggs, which have red-brown blotches. The female sits on the eggs for 30 days. When the eggs hatch the chicks are helpless but have soft down covering their body. The female feeds the chicks with food brought back to the nest by the male. When the chicks are older both parents take it in turns to feed them. The chicks have feathers and are ready to fly in five weeks.

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(sourece: http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/bskite.shtml)

Black-shouldered Kite – Elanus Caeruleus

Members of the genus Elanus are rather small kites. Their wings are long and pointed, the tail double rounded. They have small bills and feet, and are generally grey and white with varying amounts of black on the shoulders.
The genus is cosmopolitan, but favours tropical or sub-tropical climes. Only in Australia do two species of this genus co-exist, both of which are unique to that continent, although one – the Australian Letter-winged Kite (Elanus notatus) is closely related to, and may be a race of the Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus Caeruleus).

Range

The Black-shouldered Kite is most likely to be found in north-west Africa, Southern Asia, the East Indies, Arabia and Africa south of the Sahara. There are occasional sightings in Southern Europe, although it is not a regular resident or visitor in that area.
Its preferred terrain is open savannah, cultivated highlands, grassy plains and semi-desert grassland.

Diet

The mainstay of the Black-shouldered Kite’s diet is mammals up to the size of a small rat. There are taken in grasslands. A few small ground birds such as larks and pipits, and large insects, especially grasshoppers and locusts also feature on occasions. On the Arabian coast the staple diet is dead fish and offal, varied with lizards, no doubt because of shortage of other food. Most food is taken on the ground, but some insects are caught in the air.

Voice

Generally this is rather a silent bird, although it is able to produce a variety of weak whistling calls. A thin, melodious `weepweep’; a thin wailing whistle at the nest, `piii-uu’ in display; double whistles, `plee-wit’ `plee-wit’, associated with alarm and food. Other calls include an aspirated sound `weee-och’, a louder `quaaar’, lower pitched. When attacking other birds, it makes a series of shrill, rather chattering, whistles.

Status and behaviour in the wild

A small, grey and white hawk, with a red eye and black shoulder patch visible when perched. The tail is square, and the folded wings reach beyond it. It often hovers in flight. Its habits, habitat, and grey and white appearance should make it unmistakable.
This is a bird of open country wherever it occurs, but it can be seen in all habitat types from moderately dense savannah to open semi-desert, or even deserts, at altitudes from 0-9,000 feet. It roosts in trees and is on the wing early in the morning. Having taken to the wing, it spends most of each day perched on a series of perches, which may be telegraph posts or wires, dead tree stumps, or sometimes rocks where trees are scarce. When not perched it flies at a height of 50-200 feet over the grasslands, hovering at intervals, and circling into the wind in the manner of a kestrel. Its mode of maintaining position during a hover is unlike that of a kestrel, however. When flying from place to place it flies directly, with measured beats of its rather pointed wings, much slower than those of small falcons. When perched it often raises and lowers the tail; this action is probably a form of display.
It is very sedentary, and will usually be found in the same area (especially in the equatorial parts of its range), showing no tendency at all to migrate. Northern populations may wander more in winter, but perform no regular migrations. In India there is evidence of irruptions into particular areas of country for periods, and then disappearance for some years. It is said to be nomadic in the northern part of its range, but resident in the tropical parts. Occasionally groups of 15-120 will roost together outside the breeding season, using the same roost nightly, and converging on it from all round.
Pairs remain together for most of the year, and are usually found not far apart. The range of a pair will depend on food supply, and can be anything from a square mile or less, to 35 square miles in open desert country. They may sometimes be seen soaring high up outside the breeding season, in a manner quite unlike the usual low hovering flight.
When killing prey this species has a very recognisable method of dropping gently into the grass, wings high above the back and their angle altered frequently to control the speed of descent. A few feet above the ground the wings are held straight up and the bird drops onto its prey. The whole routine is very graceful, similar to, but more gracefully performed than, the killing methods of the Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus).

Breeding behaviour

This kite is one of very few members of the order, that is occasionally double-brooded. What percentage of pairs do nest twice and whether such behaviour is correlated with unusual food supplies is not known. When the young of the first brood are well grown, if there is to be a second brood, mating activities resume and the male, as before, begins half-hearted nest-building. If a second brood is reared, the eggs are laid in a new nest as well constructed as the first.

Just prior to egg-laying, and after some half-hearted nuptial chasing and mutual soaring, one or more birds may perch on the nest tree, calling a good deal. They also make short flights from tree to tree with gently fluttering wings. This is its pre-copulation display.
The nest is built by the birds themselves, and a new one is built every year, though the same area, or even the same tree may be used. It is a small, light structure of thin twigs, flat and loosely made, not more than twelve inches across by three inches deep. It could be at any height from five to 60 feet above ground, and is usually in a large tree standing in open ground, often a thorny one. In South Africa they seem to prefer the tops of fir trees, and when there are no trees available, like in the desert islands of the Arabian Coast, they will breed on rock ledges. Both sexes build, breaking off twigs from trees and bringing them to the site in the beak. The male brings most of the material which is then worked into the nest by the female.
Three to five eggs are laid at intervals of two to three days. In temperate regions the eggs are laid in spring, but in tropical regions the breeding season is elastic and may even extend into wet periods.
The female carries out most, if not all of the incubation. She is fed on or near the nest by the male during the incubation period. Both birds are likely to be aggressive if the nest is disturbed during this period, and they vigorously attack other raptors and crows passing near by. The incubation period is about 26 days (25-28).
The eggs hatch at two to three day intervals, so a brood of four will take a week or more to hatch;. Although this results in wide variation in the size of the chicks, the older chicks are not usually aggressive to the younger, and all are sometimes reared.
The feathers appear through the down at about twelve to fourteen days, and the young are fully feathered by 21 days. They are ready to fly at 30 to 35 days. In exceptional conditions on the Arabian Coast the fledging period exceeds 40 days, probably due to lack of food. The young return to the nest at intervals after their first flight, and are fed by their parents away from the nest.
ln the early fledging period the male brings all the prey and the female remains at or on the nest, tending the young. Later the female takes the major part in killing for the brood, but the male remains for long periods near the nest and takes some share. The female alone feeds the young, the male only bringing prey to the nest. She continues to feed them until they are feathered, at about twenty days, but thereafter drops prey on the nest and leaves them to tear it up. With a large brood, of three or four, she feeds all the young and does not favour the largest.

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(source: http://lamington.nrsm.uq.edu.au/Documents/Birds/Bsk.htm)

Size: Grows to about 35cm with a wingspan of about 1 m.

Identification: Upper parts are pale grey with a black patcharound the shoulder of the wing. The underparts are white except a small, black patch under the wing.There is a small, black patch above the orange-red eye.

Call/Song: The black-shouldered kite makes rapidly uttered sharp whistles as well as a wheezing when attacking other birds or defending the nest.

Here is some information from internet about harris hawk:

The Harris’ hawk is a medium-sized, tropical or semitropical hawk, widely distributed from the US-Mexico border south to Chile and Argentina.

It is one of the most remarkable birds of prey, because it has a unique behaviour pattern. These birds hunt in family groups, in much the same way as wolves hunt in packs. Each group consists of a pair, with a dominant female, and several helpers. When they sight their prey from the air, they land on the ground and take turns to scare the prey animal until it darts out from its hiding place and is captured by another member of the hunting pack. This seems to be an adaptation to flush out their prey from beneath the thorny habitats of mesquite, saguaro and semi-arid woodland without causing damage to the birds’ plumage.

Mantling behaviour

When the prey has been captured, the bird adopts a posture known as mantling, shielding the prey with the wings in an apparent attempt to hide it from other birds. The main types of prey include rabbits, rodents, snakes, lizards and other birds.

(source: http://helios.bto.ed.ac.uk/bto/desbiome/harris.htm)

Harris’s Hawk Parabuteo unicinctus

Identification Tips:

• Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 43 inches
• Sexes similar
• Large, long-tailed, broad-winged hawk
• Short, dark, hooked beak with yellow cere
• White uppertail coverts

Adult:

• Chocolate-brown head, neck, back, and belly
• Chestnut underwing coverts and leg feathers
• Dark flight feathers above and below
• Chestnut upperwing has dark centers to many of the feathers
• White undertail coverts
• Black tail with white base and terminal band

Immature:

• Chocolate-brown head and neck with sparse pale streaking
• White belly streaked with chocolate-brown
• Leg feathers pale with chestnut barring
• Upperwing and underwing coverts chestnut, with dark centers to many of the feathers
• Pale bases to primaries create pale patch in outer wing
• Dark tail with narrrow white base and terminal band

Similar species:

Dark plumage, chestnut wing coverts, black tail with white base and terminal band eliminate all other hawks.

Length and wingspan from: Robbins, C.S., Bruun, B., Zim, H.S., (1966). Birds of North America. New York: Western Publishing Company, Inc.

(source: http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3350id.html)

and I think this is my favorite…

Physical Characteristics:

Size: Medium sized hawk. P. u. superior is the largest of the three subspecies.
Build:
Weight: 565-2000 g
Wings and tail: Long wings and long tail.
Wingspan:
Colours: P. u. harrisi and P. u. unicinctus: Sooty brown with chest-nut shoulders, under-wing coverts and thighs. P. u. superior: darker.
Voice: ‘Eechip’ (2 sec.) when begging, ‘eerrp’ (1-3 sec.) when an adult expects prey to be transferred’, ‘eee-eee-eee-eee’ (3 sec.) when disturbed.Easily confused with: Juveniles: Species of the genus Buteogallus.
Range: P. u. harrisi: Southern United States; Louisiana to Kansas Southern Texas, Mexico, Central America to Ecuador and Peru. P. u. unicinctus: and south-eastern California to Chile, Central Argentina, Paraguay, Venezuela and Brazil. P. u. superior: South-eastern California, south-western Arizona, south-western Mexico
Population: Declining in North America.

Migration: Non-migratory.

Habitat: Lowland areas, sparse woodland and semi-desert. Prefers a moderate amount of taller vegetation.

Breeding: Polyandry is common among Harris’ hawks, and mostly so in the western range. The third member of the family acts as a ‘nest-helper’, by feeding the young and supplying prey to the nest. Occasionally the ‘nest-helper’ is a juvenile female from an earlier clutch.
The pairs/families maintain individual breeding territories.
Nests are usually found in low-lying and isolated woodland. They are placed in cactus, spanish bayonet, mesquite, and other trees. Nests are made of sticks, twigs, weeds lined with green mesquite, leaves, bark, grass and moss.
Breeding season is from february to october, with most eggs laid in early march. Mating starst about three weeks before egg-laying. Two to four eggs are laid. The incubation period is 33-36 days. The nestlings fledge at about 40 days of age. Double clutching is occasionally observed.

Food: Small and mediumsized mammals, and mediumsized birds.

Hunting technique: A quick descending glide from a high perch or a soaring position, or flying horizontally from the perch and making a steep downward plunge at the quarry. If successful, the hawk remains on the ground with the quarry, or carries it to a nearby elevated perch to feed. If unsuccessful, the hawk might take perch near the last sighting of the prey, and await its reappearance or till it tires from waiting and flies of to a higher perch. If the quarry is flushed, the hawk chases it with quick wingbeats and might eventually stoop at it before it reaches cover again. If it does, the hawk swoops vertically upwards a couple of meters, sometimes make a tight circle and then it descends on the quarry if it reappears. Hovering above prey or its cover is never observed.
Harris’ hawks often hunt in groups of 3-6 hawks. They fly from one perch to a neighboring perch, which, if not vacant, becomes vacated when an approaching hawk comes near. This move-searching hunting tactic eventually ends up with the intire group pursuing quarry which is engaged in a series of stoops or by a dominant hawk pursuing and capturing quarry and the rest of the group following to assist if necessary.

Use in Falconry: The Harris’ hawk has become the most popular hawk and is the greatest invention in 20th century falconry. It is a most versatile and adaptable hawk. It will perform in all sorts of country-side, in all sorts of weather, fly at all sorts of quarry and do it in all sorts of ways. It is the easiest of all hawks in falconry to train and handle.
Due to it’s social behaviour, the Harris’ hawk tames quickly and develops an affection for it’s handler. They are quick learners, quite intelligent and will improve with age. They are very consistent and will take quite large quarry: rabbits, hares and ducks. The Harris’ hawk is easy to train to fly with other Harris’ hawks in casts or even groups.
Many experienced falconers do not recommend Harris’es to beginners. They are considered too easy to train, and the beginner is not believed to learn enough about training a hawk from training a Harris’ hawk. Never the less falconry owes a large part of its growing popularity in the last 20-30 years, to the Harris hawk, as it has become the most common hawk in western falconry.

(source: http://users.cybercity.dk/~ccc12787/raptors/parabuteo.html)