Description: Red-tailed hawks are active fliers; they flap a lot, and hardly ever soar. When they see a mouse, they dive straight down (at up to 120 mph) to catch it with sharp talons (claws). They also hunt by sitting on a perch and watching for prey. Then they pounce on it! This perch can be a fence post or a dead tree. A good territory has many perches. Red-tailed hawks will eat any animal that is raccoon-sized or smaller, even pets. 85% of their diet is made up of mammals, like mice, squirrels, and rabbits.