Red-tailed Hawk
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Quick Facts
- Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis
- Spanish Name: Gavilán colirrojo
- Family: Accipitridae
- Known Nicknames: Chicken Hawk, Red-tail
- Average Length: 45–65 cm / 18–26 in
- Average Weight: 690–1460 g / 1.5–3.2 lb
- Wingspan: 110–145 cm / 43–57 in
- Key Feature: Rusty-red upper tail surface visible in flight
- Primary Diet: Carnivore
- Range: North America from Alaska and Canada to Panama and the Caribbean
- Habitat: Open country, woodlands, grasslands, deserts, and roadside perches
- Social Structure: Solitary or in mated pairs
- Nesting/Breeding: Stick nests in tall trees, cliff ledges, or artificial structures
- Conservation Status: Least Concern (LC)
- Population Trend: Increasing
Soaring over open country and roadsides across North America, the Red-tailed Hawk (*Buteo jamaicensis*) is a master of patience and precision, instantly recognizable by its namesake rusty-red tail that fans out in flight. This robust raptor typically measures 18 to 26 inches in length with a wingspan exceeding four feet, its broad, rounded wings and stocky body built for effortless soaring. Its plumage is highly variable, ranging from pale to dark morphs, but most adults share a white chest and belly, a dark "belly band" of streaks, and pale underwings with dark patagial marks at the "wrists." A special feature is its piercing, hooked beak and keen eyesight, capable of spotting a mouse from a hundred feet up. Unique among North American buteos, its iconic, raspy scream is often used in movies to represent any hawk or eagle, making it the quintessential voice of the wild.
Fun Facts
Red-tailed Hawks are notorious for their dramatic “kiting” behavior, where they hover in place against strong winds by adjusting their wings and tail, sometimes for minutes at a time, to scan for prey. Their iconic scream, often used in movies for bald eagles, is actually a raspy, descending cry that varies regionally—some populations even have distinct dialects. They possess a unique adaptation called a “brow ridge” that shields their eyes from glare and debris during high-speed dives, allowing them to spot a mouse from over 100 feet away. Quirkily, they are known to “mantle” their food—spreading wings and tail over a kill like a protective tent—not just to hide it from rivals but also to shade it from the sun or rain.
Habitats & Distribution
The Red-tailed Hawk occupies an extraordinarily broad range of habitats across North America, from central Alaska and northern Canada southward through the contiguous United States, Mexico, and into Central America. It is highly adaptable, thriving in open and semi-open environments such as grasslands, agricultural fields, deserts, scrublands, and mountainous regions up to treeline. It also readily inhabits forest edges, roadsides, and urban areas, where tall trees, utility poles, or cliffs provide suitable perches for hunting. This species is absent only from dense, unbroken forests and the extreme Arctic tundra.
Behaviours & Reproduction
Red-tailed Hawks are generally solitary outside of breeding, but pairs form strong monogamous bonds that often last for multiple seasons or even life. They are highly territorial during nesting, with both members defending the area through soaring displays and vocalizations. Courtship involves spectacular aerial maneuvers, including steep dives and the pair locking talons in a cartwheeling spiral before releasing. Mating occurs after these displays, and the pair works together to build a bulky stick nest high in a tree or on a cliff ledge. A unique reproductive strategy is their site fidelity; they often reuse and enlarge the same nest year after year, sometimes accumulating nests over a decade. The female typically lays 1–3 eggs, incubates them for about 28–35 days, while the male provides food. After hatching, the male continues hunting while the female broods and feeds the young. The chicks fledge at around 6 weeks but remain dependent on the parents for several more weeks, learning to hunt before dispersing to find their own territories.
Diet
The Red-tailed Hawk is an opportunistic carnivore with a highly varied diet, primarily consisting of small to medium-sized mammals such as voles, mice, rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels, which make up the bulk of its intake. It also readily consumes birds up to the size of pheasants and ducks, as well as reptiles like snakes and lizards, and occasionally amphibians, fish, and large insects. An interesting fact about its feeding behavior is that it employs a "still-hunting" strategy, perching on a high vantage point like a telephone pole or tree limb to scan for movement, then diving at speeds up to 120 mph to snatch prey with its powerful talons. Another notable aspect is its role as a key controller of rodent populations, which has historically led farmers to construct artificial nesting platforms to attract them for natural pest control. Additionally, Red-tailed Hawks have been observed engaging in "kleptoparasitism," stealing food from other raptors like the Northern Harrier or even chasing down prey already caught by other birds.
Colors
The Red-tailed Hawk displays highly variable plumage, but adults typically have a brown back, pale underparts with a dark belly band, and a distinctive brick-red upper tail surface. Juveniles lack the red tail, instead showing brown barred tail feathers. Their coloration provides effective camouflage against tree bark and rocky outcrops, with some morphs (like the dark "Harlan's" form) exhibiting nearly black bodies with mottled white patches, aiding concealment in specific habitats.
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