Will Tweety, the Red-tailed Hawk, forge northward?
May 08, 2001 – “It is likely that Tweety will migrate, but his/her position further north in Mexico may be one reason he’s starting late- he/she may not have as far to travel to a breeding territory. Also, since we don’t know his/her breeding area yet, that’s another possibility for delayed migration- not having to travel very far so waiting it out on the wintering grounds. The opposite could also be true- that he/she is breeding far to the north where the weather is likely still to cold to initiate a nest. The sex of the redtail could also influence migration timing. “In general, males arrive at breeding territories earlier than females, so Tweety might be a female, waiting for her mate to establish or re-establish last years’ territory. Age and breeding status could be another reason for differential migration timing. Young birds without breeding territories may delay migration, or adults without a mate or territory may migrate early to try and establish a territory. In short,there i
