Red-tailed Hawk: how to recognise it
A bird of Europe and North America. Learn the marks that make it easy to identify, then practise with real photographs in Lore.
Practise with real photosAll species guides
Photo © Craig K. Hunt · CC BY-NC · iNaturalist · all photo credits
- Scientific name
- Buteo jamaicensis
- Family
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Size
- About 45–65 cm
- Habitat
- Open country with trees, farmland and roadsides
- Found in
- Europe and North America
The key marks
A heavy, broad-winged hawk, brown above and pale below with a dark belly band and, on adults, a rusty-red tail.
Voice
A hoarse, screaming “kree-eee-ar”, which films often use for any eagle.
Good to know
It is one of the commonest hawks of North America and often sits on roadside poles scanning for prey.
Where and when
You can expect to find it in open country with trees, farmland and roadsides. It is especially common in California, the United States, Arizona and Texas. Distribution changes with the seasons and from year to year, so check a recent local observation source before you go looking.