Red-tailed Hawk
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common large hawk of North America, easily recognized by the rusty red tail of the adult. It soars over open country and, increasingly, over cities.
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common large hawk of North America, easily recognized by the rusty red tail of the adult. It soars over open country and, increasingly, over cities.
🧬 Field Guide Specimen: Open Red-tailed Hawk in the CRV Science Field Guide to log the specimen, see its place among the Reptilia lineages in the Cladogram Explorer, and test your recall in the Red List conservation game.
Soaring on Thermals
The hawk circles on rising columns of warm air (thermals), gaining height without flapping, and scans the ground for rodents, rabbits and snakes. Its broad wings are suited for this effortless soaring.
City Hawks
A pair known as Pale Male has nested on a building on Fifth Avenue in New York City since 1991, a widely watched urban wildlife story. The birds adapt to parks and buildings.
A Famous Scream
The red-tail's raspy cry is the sound often dubbed in films for bald eagles, whose real voice is weaker. The species is considered Least Concern.
Red-tailed Hawk at a Glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Buteo jamaicensis |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Field Guide group | Reptilia: Aves (Birds) |
| Diagnostic feature (Field Guide) | Broad rounded wings, brick-red tail, pale chest with a dark belly band; soars on thermals over open country. |
| IUCN Red List status | Least Concern (LC), assessed 2024 |
| Habitat | Open country across North America |
See Also
- Bald Eagle — a larger raptor
- American Kestrel — a small raptor