Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a common kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 28 countries, weighing about 1.1 kg. The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey and one of the most common hawks in North America.
About the Red-tailed Hawk
The red-tailed hawk is a bird of prey and one of the most common hawks in North America. In the United States, it is one of three species colloquially known as the "chickenhawk". The red-tailed hawk breeds throughout most of the continent, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. The red-tailed hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural fields, and urban areas. It is absent in areas of unbroken forest and in the high arctic. It is legally protected in Canada, Mexico, and the United States by the Migratory Bird Treaty.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The red-tailed hawk is dimorphic in size, as females are up to 25% larger than males. As is typical in large raptors, frequently reported mean body mass for red-tailed hawks is somewhat higher than expansive research reveals. Part of this weight is highly seasonally variable and due to clinal variation; male red-tailed hawks may weigh from 690 to 1,300 g (1.52 to 2.87 lb) and females from 900 to 2,000 g (2.0 to 4.4 lb). Voice: The cry of the red-tailed hawk is a two- to three-second, hoarse, rasping scream, described as kree-eee-ar, that begins at a high pitch and slurs downward. This cry is often described as sounding similar to a steam whistle.
What the Red-tailed Hawk sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in United Kingdom, Colombia, Guadeloupe, Antigua & Barbuda, Belgium.
When to see it
The Red-tailed Hawk can be seen all year round, with peak activity in April. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Watch the Red-tailed Hawk on live cams
- U.S. Steel Red-tailed Hawk NestPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA · Streaming now
- Cornell Red-tailed HawksIthaca, New York, USA · Streaming now
Browse all 118 bird cams worldwide, live and seasonal, by region and species.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Red-tailed Hawk?
- The red-tailed hawk is dimorphic in size, as females are up to 25% larger than males. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Red-tailed Hawk?
- The Red-tailed Hawk is a large sized bird weighing about 1.1 kg.
- Where can you see a Red-tailed Hawk?
- The Red-tailed Hawk occurs in 28 countries, including the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica.
- What does a Red-tailed Hawk sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Red-tailed Hawk on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Red-tailed Hawk?
- The Red-tailed Hawk is most easily confused with the Red-shouldered Hawk, the Common Buzzard and the Broad-winged Hawk.
- Is the Red-tailed Hawk endangered?
- The Red-tailed Hawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Red-tailed Hawk for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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