The Harris's Hawk (Parabuteo unicinctus), also known as the wolf hawk, bay-winged hawk, or dusky hawk, is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil. They are easily recognized by the yellow cere, or fleshy piece of skin around the yellow beak. They also have copper tipped wings, and bright yellow talons. John James Audubon gave this bird its English name in honor of his ornithological companion, financial supporter, and friend Edward Harris.
The Harris's hawk is notable for its behavior of hunting cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, working together to set up ambushes, or corral prey, while other raptors often hunt alone. The packs usually consist of two to seven Harris's hawks.They are one of the few raptor species that hunt in wolf-like packs, hunting prey of the desert like prairie dogs, jackrabbits, ground squirrels, birds, toads, and snakes. Because of this behavior, they are sometimes nicknamed the wolf hawk. They often will rest on each others backs when there isn't much area to perch. These hawks will even chase prey on the ground, hence the long legs, which are longer than most hawk legs. The Harris's hawks' social nature has been attributed to their intelligence, which makes them easy to train and have made them a popular bird for use in falconry.