Red-tailed Hawk in flight
Credit: Ray Barlow

North American field guide

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Also known as:Chicken-hawk

Explore this bird

Identification

Field notes

48-64 cm (19-25") Most common buteo. Nests in woodlands; feeds in open country.

Crow-sized; wings broad and rounded; tail broad and fanned. Plumage extremely variable ranging from very light (Krider's) to very dark (Harlan's) forms; typical adult has brown upperparts, uniformly reddish uppertail looking pink from the underside, white underparts with a dark belly band.

Immature: finely banded gray-brown tail.

Song: a hoarse "keee-r-r-r".

Watch and learn

Videos

4 videos

Where it lives

Distribution maps

Source legend · original intervals

Loading the rebuilt map…

Unshaded in source · does not imply absence

Generic and winter maps may use different intervals.

Approximate reconstruction of a historical map. Source date unknown.

Geography: Natural Earth
Bird Advisor Identification rules 3 variants 6 rules

These are the observation paths the Bird Advisor can use to identify this species. Each rule is an alternative match.

Red-tailed Hawk

2 rules
Rule 1 10 criteria confidence 7
Where was the white seen in flight ?
On the wings and underbody · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Broad dark band across the tip · None · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
result:401-red-tailed-hawk:1:1 Source: 401 Red-tailed Hawk, row 1
Rule 2 11 criteria confidence 7
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour was the TAIL ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
result:401-red-tailed-hawk:2:1 Source: 401 Red-tailed Hawk, row 2

Red-tailed Hawk (Dark Phase)

2 rules
Rule 1 13 criteria confidence 7
Where was the white seen in flight ?
Mainly on the wings · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · None · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
WHERE was the bird seen ?
Southwestern United States · Northwestern Canada or United States
result:402-red-tailed-hawk-dark-phase:1:1 Source: 402 Red-tailed Hawk (Dark Phase), row 1
Rule 2 11 criteria confidence 7
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour was the TAIL ?
Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Red, or pink · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BELLY ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
result:402-red-tailed-hawk-dark-phase:2:1 Source: 402 Red-tailed Hawk (Dark Phase), row 2

Red-tailed Hawk (Immature)

2 rules
Rule 1 10 criteria confidence 7
Where was the white seen in flight ?
On the wings and underbody · Unknown
Did the bird show conspicuous or promient white in flight ?
Yes · Unknown
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
In flight
What SHAPE were the wings ?
Rounded · Unknown
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Dark and light bands across it · None · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
result:403-red-tailed-hawk-immature:1:1 Source: 403 Red-tailed Hawk (Immature), row 1
Rule 2 12 criteria confidence 7
How was the bird SEEN BEST ?
While landed
What colour TAIL PATTERN was there if any ?
Light band at the tip · Dark and light bands across it · Broad dark band across the tip · Unknown
What colour was the TAIL ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Brown, brownish red, cinnamon · Gray, or blue-gray · Black, purple, or dark · Unknown
What colour was the BACK ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour PATTERN if any was shown on the BREAST ?
Streaked lengthwise (from head to tail) · Spotted or mottled · Barred crosswise (from side to side) · Dark band or bands running across the breast or neck · Unknown
What colour was the BREAST ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What colour was the THROAT ?
White, or pale (grayish-white) · Orange, buff (orange-yellow), or tan · Rufous (dull-red or rust-colored) · Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
What SHAPE was the BILL ?
Straight and thick · Hooked · Downcurved · Unknown
What LENGTH was the BILL ?
Very short · Short · Unknown
What was the predominant colour of the HEAD ?
Brown, or chestnut (reddish-brown) · Unknown
How BIG was the bird ?
Crow-sized · Goose-sized
What TYPE of bird was seen ?
Hawk-like
result:403-red-tailed-hawk-immature:2:1 Source: 403 Red-tailed Hawk (Immature), row 2