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WATCH: Red-shouldered hawks nest in Pendleton fire escape

Pendleton Red-Shouldered Hawks
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CINCINNATI — Birds make their nests in some interesting places, but a family of red-shouldered hawks have decided to call a Pendleton fire escape home.

Despite being known as "a hawk of the woodlands," according to The National Audubon Society, a bird conservation nonprofit, these hawks have decided the city life is for them.

Red-Shouldered Hawks Pendleton

The hawks have been calling the fire escape home for years, returning for the last three years to mate in the building's nearby tree, according to the building's owner.

The owner said the nest has chicks, which are only 6 weeks old. Red-shouldered hawks mate from March to April, he said.

Red-shouldered hawks make nest in downtown Cincinnati fire escape

According to The National Audubon Society, red-shouldered hawks are more visible in California and Florida, but they do have a population in the Great Lakes region.

And don't worry, the birds are faring perfectly fine when it comes to food despite their urban lifestyle.

The owner said he's seen the hawks bring back headless snakes for dinner (...yum?) on multiple occasions. Red-shouldered hawks eat a balanced diet of small mammals, amphibians, reptiles and other birds, according to The National Audubon Society.

Red-Shouldered Hawks Pendleton

While the red-shouldered hawks may have picked an unusual nesting spot, the birds aren't endangered at all. The National Audubon Society said red-shouldered hawk populations are "thought to be stable" in most regions, meaning they're a low concern species.

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