In the wild, which of the following is true about a red-tailed hawk hunting behavior?

Red-tailed hawks exhibit a versatile hunting strategy in the wild. While they are known to prey on a variety of animals, their dietary preferences tend to focus more on small to medium-sized mammals, such as rodents, rather than specifically avoiding game birds or passerines. In fact, it is common for them to hunt small mammals, which comprises a significant part of their diet, but they are also opportunistic predators that can take game birds and even birds like sparrows if necessary.

Saying they generally avoid hunting game birds or passerines does not accurately reflect their opportunistic feeding behavior. They adapt their hunting techniques based on availability and can be quite resourceful in exploiting whatever prey is around, including both small mammals and birds. Thus, their flexibility in hunting makes them effective predators in a variety of habitats.