Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Wingspan

115–135cm

Body length

45–65cm

Weight

700–1,300g

Profile

Life expectancy
Clutch size: 1–5 eggs
Global status
Activity
Migration
Falconry

Identification

Broad wings, a stocky body and a relatively short, rounded tail give the typical buzzard silhouette. Pale adults often show a dark belly band; juveniles still lack the red tail that gives the species its name.

Colours

Plumage

Eyes

Legs & feet

Adult · Pale

Pale underparts with a dark belly band. The adult tail is rusty red.

The colour morphs shown are based on the western subspecies calurus. They grade into one another through numerous intermediates; Harlan’s Hawk is a separate subspecies and is not shown here as a dark morph.

Behaviour

Pairs can stay together for many years. In courtship they perform chases and steep flight manoeuvres. The territory, and especially the nest, is defended even against much larger raptors.

Breeding & rearing

Both partners build or repair the large stick nest, usually high in a tree. Rock ledges and structures are also used. After first leaving the nest, the young still depend on their parents for food.

Diet

Prey examples

Voles

Rabbits

Ground squirrels

Hares

Small to medium-sized mammals make up most of its diet. It also kills birds and snakes and occasionally takes carrion.

Hunting

Perch hunting Scavenging

From a raised perch it watches the ground and waits for a good opportunity. When it spots prey, it glides down and seizes it with outstretched talons.

Distribution

Range

North America

Habitat

Open landscapes, fields and woodland edges. Tall trees and posts serve as perches.

Open meadows, fields and varied hedgerow landscape — Meadows & fields

Old mixed broadleaf forest with clearings and forest edges — Forests