Red-Tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Aves › Accipitriformes › Accipitridae › Buteo
Conservation status: least_concern
This bird of prey is one of the most common hawks in North America. It can be distinguished by its tail, which is uniformly brick-red above and light buff-orange below. The species feeds on a wide range of small animals, such as rodents, birds, and reptiles.
How To Identify
This raptor is a robust, medium-sized hawk characterized by overall brown to dark plumage. Its distinguishing feature is its tail, which displays prominent red or rufous coloration—the source of its common name.
Habitat
Red-tailed Hawks inhabit open woodlands, grasslands, deserts, and agricultural areas across North America, favoring elevated perches for hunting.
Behaviour
They are famous for their soaring hunts, circling high on thermal currents while scanning the ground for small mammals, and they often sit motionless on telephone poles and fence posts for extended periods.
Native Range
The Red-Tailed Hawk is native to Central America and Northern America.
Did You Know?
Red-tailed Hawks can spot a mouse from over 100 feet in the air, and their iconic piercing cry is so recognizable that filmmakers often use it as a generic 'bird of prey' sound for other raptors.
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