Harris’s Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
Formerly known as the Bay-Winged Hawk and as the Dusky Hawk, this wide-ranging bird lives north into the desert south-west and south to Chile and Argentina. One thing that makes the Harris’s Hawk special is that it has a social structure unlike any other raptor. These birds hunt as a group where one individual will pursue prey, usually small mammals, even running on the ground into brushy thickets, while its partners will keep a watch from above, should the prey elude the ground pursuit and flush into the open. These tag-team efforts make it one of the most successful predators on the planet.
The social nature of these birds includes nesting and rearing the young. One female in the group does all the nest duties while the rest of the members bring food to the nest. This strategy is so successful that some families can raise two or three sets of babies in a year. Yet despite this success, populations are in a slight decline, losing about 2% a year across North America, mainly because of habitat loss.
Today’s science recognises two subspecies of Harris’s Hawk:
- P. u. harrisi lives in North America, Mexico, and northern Central America.
- P. u. unicinctus lives in South America.
In early December 2020, I had the remarkable experience of participating in a falconry demonstration in New Mexico with a pair of Harris’s Hawks in the Rio Grande Valley. The younger of the two birds seemed to enjoy perching atop my head. I was thankful for the cap I was wearing.
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: Minnie loved perching on heads between her sorties. It's always good to have on a hat at these times. The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Minnie and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt Mitchell and his Harris's Hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 13:55 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 100 mm, f/18.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: Jack-Minnie-captured-by-Canon_Web_2178 |
| © 2020 Jerry Goffe |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: The Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona is a well known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 17:48 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5079-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: I was treated to a fly-over by these resident hawks at the Boyce-Thompson Arboretum near Superior Arizona is a well known desert oasis and a great place to meet birds. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:23 10:47 |
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Location:
Boyce-Thompson Arboretum |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/5000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X3298-Boyce-Thompson-Arboretum |
| © 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: At the Albuquerque Zoo, or BioPark in New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2016:03:17 12:37 |
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Location:
Barelas |
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Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 160 mm, f/8.0, 1/320 |
File Name: D724137-HarrisHawk |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: At the Albuquerque Zoo, or BioPark in New Mexico. |
Date Taken: 2016:03:17 13:24 |
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Location:
Barelas |
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Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 340 mm, f/8.0, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X6193-HarrisHawk |
| © 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: This immature hawk kept calling (wheezing) to the adults not far away. Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 15:35 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/1000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D507031-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: This immature hawk kept calling (wheezing) to the adults not far away. Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge on the South Texas Coast. |
Date Taken: 2020:03:20 15:36 |
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Location:
Laguna Atscosa NWR |
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Camera Information: NIKON D500, 550 mm, f/6.3, 1/3200 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D507044-LagunaAtascosa |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:27 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 270 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5987-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
|
Description: The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:23 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 250 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5829-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
|
Description: The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:21 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 400 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5789-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: Etta wasn't in a mood for much flying this afternoon and spent most of her time watching Mini and Matt. The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:14 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 250 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5521-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
|
Description: The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:03 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 380 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5147-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: Etta wasn't in a mood for much flying this afternoon and spent most of her time watching Mini and Matt. The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 16:02 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 380 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X5090-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
|
Description: Etta wasn't in a mood for much flying this afternoon and spent most of her time watching Mini and Matt. The highlight of the day was enjoying the flying skills of Matt's Harris's Hawk sisters, Mini and Etta. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his Harris's Hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 15:57 |
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Location:
San Pedro |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 200 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X4965-SanAntonio-FalconrySite |
| © 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: There were six to eight members of this clan of banded hawks. My early morning visit to Palmito Hill, southeast of Brownsville, began in a heavy fog. By mid-day the weather improved only slightly to overcast skies. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:26 10:45 |
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Location:
Palmito Hill |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X4818-PalmitoHill-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: There were six to eight members of this clan of banded hawks. My early morning visit to Palmito Hill, southeast of Brownsville, began in a heavy fog. By mid-day the weather improved only slightly to overcast skies. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:26 10:44 |
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Location:
Palmito Hill |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X4803-PalmitoHill-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
Harris's Hawk(Parabuteo unicinctus) |
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Description: There were six to eight members of this clan of banded hawks. My early morning visit to Palmito Hill, southeast of Brownsville, began in a heavy fog. By mid-day the weather improved only slightly to overcast skies. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:26 10:44 |
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Location:
Palmito Hill |
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Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/800 |
File Name: HarrisHawk_D5X4809-PalmitoHill-TX |
| © 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |
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