In some species such as the Sharp-shinned Hawks, females can weigh twice as much as the males. Here in the West, hawks typically breed in the late spring or early summer. Most hawks pair for life, but if one partner dies, the other will quickly find a new mate. The allegiance to the breeding site is strong, however, and even those that migrate or disperse will normally return to the same nesting territory and the same mate each year. Larger hawks lay only one or two eggs each year, small hawks from three to five.
Incubation takes three to six weeks depending on the species.
All hawks are protected by state and federal laws. It is illegal to capture or kill a hawk, or to possess a hawk, alive or dead, without proper permits from local state governments as well as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Because they are predators, hawks have historically been regarded by many people as vermin. In the past, they were seen as wanton killers - cruel and harmful creatures. They are, like all living things, important parts of a diverse and intricate natural world.