Do Hawks Eat Foxes?
Hawks are known to be some of the sharpest and most clever animals on planet Earth. This is due to their keen sense of sight and exceptional ability to be able to fly at very high skies with speeds of anywhere from 20 to 40 miles per hour. At diving, they can accelerate up to 120 miles per hour.
You may be wondering what Hawks eat. Well, Hawks are carnivorous birds that eat small mammals such as Rabbits, Squirrels, Dogs, and Insects such as Moths, Dragonflies, Crickets, and Grasshoppers.
But Do Hawks Eat Foxes? If you’re curious to find out if Hawks will hunt mammals bigger than them, keep reading this article.
Do Hawks Eat Foxes?
Hawks are carnivores that are willing to eat every and any meaty animal they see. Foxes are one of them. So the answer to this question, is Yes, Hawks do eat Foxes.
How do Hawks hunt Foxes?
The hawks have really strong eyesight. They soar up in the sky looking for prey. When they spot something that could act as food for them, they glide straight down at 120 miles per hour, or faster, and quickly hunt them.
In a Fox’s case, they catch one from above, with their eyes. Next, they glide down and attack the Fox’s eyes. This is because a Fox has soft eyes, that a Hawk attacks the eye first.
After attacking the eye, the Hawk takes the Fox in its beak and brings it to its nest. Then uses its sharp beak to cut through the flesh and eat it up. A young Hawk is unable to cut the flesh, so the parent Fox helps it out. The video below shows the process…
How Often do Hawks eat Foxes?
Not so often. Hawks don’t always eat Foxes as they have hundreds of other options. They could eat almost any mammal or insect they spot.
Hawks actually have a very diverse diet from snakes to toads. But they rarely hunt for Foxes when they see one. This is not a common habit for Hawks.
Which Breed of Hawks hunt for Foxes?
Surprisingly not all breeds of Hawks like to eat Foxes. Only one special breed, the Red-tailed Hawk feasts upon foxes.
The Red-tailed hawks are the most populous in North America. This specific breed of Hawks is known for helping out humans. They help humans out by hunting rats and other small unwanted mammals. This is a favor from Hawks to us.
Do Hawks Eat Dead Foxes?
Hawks are carnivorous scavengers. A scavenger is an animal that feasts upon dead matter or plant or animal. Yes, Hawks Eat Dead Foxes.
Due to their extraordinary sense of smell, sight, and flight, they are able to quickly spot their next meal. Due to these exceptional quality traits, they do the same with Dead Foxes.
Do Foxes Eat Hawks?
Hawks are more commonly known as predators and not prey. Additionally, the Hawks have almost zero natural predators. But yes, Foxes do eat Hawks.
The foxes can only hunt upon baby Hawks and not the bigger, adult Hawks. When the Hawk goes hunting, the fox enters the nest and uses that time to feast upon a baby Hawk or even a Hawk egg. Sometimes they take them by the teeth and lead them home to consume later.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
This specific part focuses on questions that may occur in a reader’s mind. The answers below to commonly asked questions have been summarised.
- Which Foxes Do Hawks prefer?
Hawks usually don’t mind the breed of their prey. The Fox could be an Arctic Fox or Pomeranian or Shiba Inu, this doesn’t bother Hawks. However, Hawks do prefer to avoid Adult Foxes for their own safety.
- Do Foxes Defend themselves against Hawks?
Foxes are known by everyone as cunning and sharp animals. The Baby Foxes are not allowed by Adult Foxes to come out of the dens and burrows until they are 2 to 3 months old.
But if a Fox is about to be attacked by a Hawk, it instinctively starts to run away at very high speeds. Once caught, the Fox uses its sharp claws and pointy teeth to protect itself.
- How do Small Hawks hunt Big Foxes?
Foxes are usually fall under the medium-length category. Specific breeds like the Red-Tailed Hawks are born with huge wings that are able to wrap around a Fox. This is what helps a Hawks quickly take up a Fox.
Final Thoughts
The answer to the question “Do Hawks Eat Foxes?” is yes, yes they do. Hawks use all their remarkable abilities to perfectly time everything and feast upon a Fox. Specifically, the Red-Tailed Hawks are more infamous for their hunt on the Foxes.
