White-tailed Hawk

The white-tailed hawk is a large, stocky hawk. It is similar in size to Swainson's (Buteo swainsoni) and red-tailed hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), with mean measurements slightly larger than the former and slightly smaller than the latter. It can attain a total length of 44–60 cm (17–24 in) and a wingspan of 118–143 cm (46–56 in). Body mass has been reported as 880–1,240 g (1.94–2.73 lb) (B. a. hysopodius) and 865–1,010 g (1.907–2.227 lb) (B. a. colonus). Standard measurements include a wing chord of 39–46.2 cm (15.4–18.2 in), a tail of 19.4–22 cm (7.6–8.7 in), and a tarsus of 8–9.2 cm (3.1–3. Voice: Its call is a high-pitched cackling ke ke ke..., with a tinkling quality that reminds some of the bleating of a goat or the call of the laughing gull.