The Harris (or Harris's) Hawk. A quite stunning hawk of Southern Arizona and Southwest Texas. It's population has been declining, in part by humans capturing them (illegally) and using them in Falconry. Further, climate change and water usage from the Colorado River Valley have eliminated them in those areas.
Current estimates put the population at about 920,000 down 62% over the past 50 years.
Harris's Hawk is a social hawk, with a complex social order. Several years ago we would often see 4-6 at a time, traveling and eating together. We would often see them in the same tree or on the same telephone pole. They work together to capture prey as one tries to flush birds out of dense trees while others wait to pick them off. Larger prey is often shared by the group. Their diet includes small mammals, birds, and lizards.
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