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"Buteo jamaicensis"

By: S.H.

Bilateral symmetry
Segmented body, including segmented muscles
Three germ layers and a well-developed coelom
Single, dorsal, hollow nerve cord, usually with an enlarged anterior end (brain)
Tail projecting beyond (posterior to) the anus at some stage of development
Pharyngeal pouches present at some stage of development
Ventral heart, with dorsal and ventral blood vessels and a closed blood system
Complete digestive system
Bony or cartilaginous endoskeleton usually present

Horned beak, no teeth
Large muscular stomach
Feathers
Large yolked, hard-shelled eggs. The parent bird provides extensive care of the young until it is grown, or gets some other bird to look after the young
Strong skeleton

19 to 24 in. in length
females are 25% larger
Light auburn to deep brown plumage
the soft skin at the base of the beak, the legs, and the feet are all yellow
The underbelly is the lightest

has a sharp, curved beak that's used to tear its prey into pieces for eating.
great eyesight, which helps it see prey on the ground while its flying high overhead.
Hawks are not game animals, so they can't be hunted.
They live in swamps, woodlands, and prairies.
They eat mice, rabbits, snakes, birds, and insects.
They weigh 2 to 4 pounds.
Emits high-pitched screams.
In adults, the chest and the underside of the wings are lighter-colored.
build nests in trees out of sticks and twigs.
widely distributed hawk in North America
Prefers mixed country - open pasture land, fields, interspersed with woods
Immature birds have light eyes and a striped tail. Red tail comes in second year of life
Mature birds have dark brown eyes
Has the capability of hovering. Hunts while soaring or from a stationary perch
can see a mouse from a mile high in the sky
Eggs are incubated almost entirely by the female for approximately 30 days
Average life span is approximately 20 years in the wild.