Harris's Hawk (The Apex Predator of The North American Deserts)

Harris's hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), formerly known as the bay-winged hawk or dusky hawk, and known in Latin America as peuco, is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil.

The Harris's hawk is notable for its behavior of hunting cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, while other raptors often hunt alone. Harris hawks' social nature has been attributed to their intelligence, which makes them easy to train and has made them a popular bird for use in falconry.

The diet of Harris's hawk consists of small creatures including birds, lizards, mammals, and large insects. Harris's hawks hunt in cooperative groups of two to six. This is believed to be an adaptation to the lack of prey in the desert climate in which they live. Because it often hunts in groups, Harris's hawk can also take down larger prey. In one hunting technique, a small group flies ahead and scouts, then another group member flies ahead and scouts and this continues until the prey is bagged and shared. Harris's hawks will often chase prey on foot and are quite fast on the ground and their long, yellow legs are adapted for this. Groups of Harris's hawks tend to be more successful at capturing prey than lone hawks.

Harris's hawks are permanent residents and do not migrate. Harris's Hawks occur in semiopen desert lowlands—often among mesquite, paloverde, saguaro, and organ pipe cactus. They also frequent urban and suburban areas because these areas offer easy access to water and food (pigeons).

This species occurs in relatively stable groups. A dominance hierarchy occurs in Harris's hawks, wherein the mature female is the dominant bird, followed by the adult male and then the young of previous years. Groups typically include from 2 to 7 birds. Not only do birds cooperate in hunting, but they also assist in the nesting process. They nest in small trees, shrubby growth, or cacti. The nests are often compact, made of sticks, plant roots, and stems, and are often lined with leaves, moss, bark, and plant roots. No other bird of prey is known to hunt in groups as routinely as this species.

No accounts show predation on adults in the United States and Harris's hawk may be considered an apex predator. The Harris's Hawk isn't threatened by too many natural predators. They may fall prey to Great-horned Owls or the occasional coyote, and ravens may try to steal eggs or young from nests. But because they live in family groups, they have many eyes looking out for predators, which helps everyone stay safe.

Since about 1980, Harris's hawks have been increasingly used in falconry, They are one of the easiest to train and the most social. The ability of the Harris hawk to coordinate as a group to drive their prey into a trap demonstrates their intelligence and co-dependency; they are quick to learn and, therefore, easy to train. It is a combination of these factors that make the Harris hawk an excellent choice for the falconer and - therefore - the most popular bird of prey used in UK falconry today. Trained Harris's hawks have been used to remove an unwanted pigeon population from London's Trafalgar Square, and from the tennis courts at Wimbledon. Trained Harris hawks have been used for bird abatement by falconers in the United States at various locations including resorts and industrial sites.

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