How to Identify aRed-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis · 17.7–25.6 in (45–65 cm)
Male vs. female
Male
Brown above, pale below with a dark belly band; broad rounded wings and, in adults, a rusty-red tail.
Female
Like the male but noticeably larger, as in most raptors.
Male photo: Becky Matsubara from El Sobrante, California / Wikimedia, CC BY 2.0 · Second photo: Dominic Sherony / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
Field marks
- Rusty-red tail (adults)
- Dark belly band across a pale breast
- Broad, rounded wings and short tail
- Perches on poles; soars in wide circles
Similar species
What it sounds like
A harsh, rasping, descending scream — the sound dubbed over eagles in almost every film.
Behaviour that gives it away
Soars in wide circles on flat wings, and perches on roadside poles where it can watch the mown verge.
Habitat & range
Open country, farmland, highway edges, and city parks across all of North America.
When you'll see it
Present all year in North America.
What it eats
Rodents, rabbits, reptiles, and birds, usually taken from a perch or a soaring dive.
Did you know?
The piercing "hawk scream" used in movies is almost always a Red-tailed Hawk — even when a Bald Eagle is shown.
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