IRVING, Texas (KXAN) — People got an intimate look at a new family of red-tailed hawks nesting way above an Irving-area highway this week.
The hawks and fledglings were recorded on a live feed from a Texas Department of Transportation camera stationed at State Highway 114 at Rochelle Boulevard.
This isn’t the first time the camera has hosted a hawk family — it’s been happening since at least 2016, NBC5 in Dallas reports.
All About Birds says pairs work together for about four to seven days to build the nest. Sometimes they reuse ones made in previous years. Nests are usually made up of dry, long sticks, with fresh foliage and vegetation in the inner cup.
Audubon says the fledglings will leave the nest in about six to seven weeks after hatching, but won’t have the ability for strong flight for another two weeks after that.
According to Houston Audubon, red-tailed hawks can be found in Texas at all times during the year. Their numbers in the state go up in winter, as hawks from the north migrate south for warmer weather.
They mostly eat mice, rats, rabbits and ground squirrels. Pairs of red-tailed hawks usually stick together until one of them dies.
You can check out more live TxDOT cams in the Dallas area online.