POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS OF RED-TAILED HAWKS WINTERING ON TALLGRASSPRAIRIES IN OKLAHOMA

Surveys from automobiles of wintering red-tailed hawks Buteo jamaicens is were conducted at a tallgrass prairie site in Noble County, Oklahom a, from October through March of 1983-1984, 1984-1985 and 1985-1986. I ndices of population density of red-tailed hawks were higher than in a ny area of North America reported to date. The endemic subspecies B, j . fuertesi comprised 82 percent of all observations. Immature red-tail ed hawks were rare. Red-tailed hawks were frequently observed in pairs and some pairs and individual hawks frequented the same territories d uring successive winters. Information from our surveys indicate that t he subspecies B. j. fuertesi breeds farther north than has been previo usly reported.