Where’s Wildlife · Bird Field Guide

Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Pronounced (approx.): BYOO-tee-oh juh-may-SEN-siss

A broad-winged hawk often seen soaring over open country or watching for prey from an elevated perch.

Three Identification Clues

A large, broad-winged hawk with a relatively short, wide tail.

Most adults have a rusty-red upper tail; juveniles have a brown, barred tail.

Many birds show a dark belly band and dark marks along the leading edges of the underwings; plumage varies widely.

Showing 8 of 14 photographs.

Observation records are not a complete seasonal range map.