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 this bird 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.

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 — **Harris's Hawk**
*(Parabuteo unicinctus)*

**Description:**
Mini 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, Mini 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 Hawks.
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**Date Taken:** 2020:12:05 13:55

**Location:**

San Pedro
San Antonio, New Mexico
United States
4691.70 ft above sea level

**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

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Pin It — **Harris's Hawk**
*(Parabuteo unicinctus)*

**Description:**
Mini 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, Mini 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 Hawks.
Read More

**Date Taken:** 2020:12:05 13:55

**Location:**

San Pedro
San Antonio, New Mexico
United States
4691.70 ft above sea level

**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

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