Do Hawks Eat Dead Animals?

Resolved

Yes, hawks will eat dead animals, but they prefer to hunt live prey.

While hawks are primarily hunters and feed on live animals like rodents, birds, and reptiles, they are opportunistic feeders and won’t pass up a free meal. If food is scarce, hawks may scavenge and eat carrion (dead animals), particularly if they are struggling to find live prey. This behavior is more common in some hawk species, such as the Red-tailed Hawk, but it’s still relatively rare compared to scavengers like vultures.

Hawks tend to rely on their hunting skills, but they will resort to scavenging when necessary for survival.