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Saguaro National Park Telegraph Ridge
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Saguaro National Park
Harris's Hawk
Harris's Hawk

Jim Shultz, NPS

Harris’s Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus)

This common Sonoran Desert hawk is often seen in saguaro forests. Unlike most other hawks, the Harris’s hawk lives and hunts in social groups.  Most groups consist of a breeding pair and several non-breeding adult birds that help in feeding the young, defending the nest, and hunting.  They hunt in groups to increase hunting success, sometimes surrounding prey to flush it out of deep brush. 

Length: 20 in.  Wingspan: 42 in.

Diet: Rodents, rabbits, snakes, lizards, and birds

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Saguaro

Did You Know?
The saguaro cactus only grows naturally in the Sonoran Desert. There are approximately 1.6 million individual saguaro plants growing within Saguaro National Park.
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Last Updated: September 08, 2008 at 16:13 MST