Bird Guide

Ferruginous Hawk vs Grey-lined Hawk

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)

Ferruginous Hawk

Buteo regalis

Large1.4 kgGrassland

This is the largest of the North American Buteos and is often mistaken for an eagle due to its size, proportions, and behavior. Among all the nearly thirty species of Buteo in the world, only the upland buzzard (B. hemilasius) of Asia averages larger in length and wingspan. The weight of the upland buzzard and ferruginous broadly overlaps and which of these two species is the heaviest in the genus is debatable. As with all birds of prey, the female ferruginous hawk is larger than the male, but there is some overlap between small females and large males in the range of measurements. Voice: The voice is not well-described in literature. Alarm calls consist of kree – a or ke – ah and harsh kaah, kaah calls, the latter resembling some vocalizations of the herring gull. One description referred to the "wavering" alarm call and "breathy" notes, while other authors describe screams similar to those of the red-tailed hawk (B. jamaicensis).

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: John Krampl · CC BY 4.0
Grey-lined Hawk (Buteo nitidus)

Grey-lined Hawk

Buteo nitidus

Large519 gForest

The gray-lined hawk is 46–61 cm (18–24 in) in length and weighs 475 g (16.8 oz) average. The adult has a pale gray body, the tail is black with three white bands and the legs are orange. It has fine white barring on the upper parts. Immature birds have dark brown upperparts, a pale-banded brown tail, brown-spotted white underparts and a brown streaked buff head and neck. This species is quite short-winged, and has a fast agile flight for a Buteo.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Grey-lined Hawk
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · Call · Fila De Mariches (near Parroquia La Dolorita), Sucre, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: Joao Quental · CC BY 2.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Ferruginous Hawk and Grey-lined Hawk.