Photo: Rhododendrites / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) — Birds of Prey of North America.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a member of the Accipitridae family found in Central America & Caribbean and North America. Adults weigh 1.1 kg. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Accipitriformes
- Family Accipitridae Kites, Hawks, Eagles
- Genus Buteo
- Species jamaicensis
Quick facts
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Diet
- Vertebrate hunters
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Male vs female
Sexes look alike in plumage; females average about 25% larger (reverse sexual size dimorphism).
Juvenile appearance
Immatures have a brown (not brick-red) tail crossed by numerous narrow dark bands, pale yellowish eyes, and often a more heavily streaked belly band; the red tail is acquired at about 1.5 years.
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-tailed Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it spends much of its time perched in trees and shrubs.
Migration
The Red-tailed Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) belongs to the Accipitridae family of the order Accipitriformes. It is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America. Its distribution covers NA, MA widespread.
It is a very large bird. Adults weighs around 1.1 kg, with a wing length of about 40.3 cm and a tail of around 21.2 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 15.5 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-tailed Hawk?
The Red-tailed Hawk is a very large bird that weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Red-tailed Hawk live?
The Red-tailed Hawk is found across Central America & Caribbean and North America with a range covering NA, MA widespread, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-tailed Hawk belong to?
The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) belongs to the Accipitridae family, in the order Accipitriformes.
What does the Red-tailed Hawk eat?
The Red-tailed Hawk preys mainly on other vertebrates.
Does the Red-tailed Hawk migrate?
The Red-tailed Hawk is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Red-tailed Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Red-tailed Hawk make?
1 real field recording of the Red-tailed Hawk — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-tailed Hawk's range?
The Red-tailed Hawk has a mapped global range of about 15.5 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
Red-tailed Hawk vs Red-shouldered Hawk: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Red-tailed Hawk from a Red-shouldered Hawk — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.
Red-tailed Hawk vs Swainson’s Hawk: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell a Red-tailed Hawk from a Swainson’s Hawk — size, range, family and status compared side by side, with links to each bird’s full ID guide.
Meet the Accipitridae
A field guide to the Accipitridae family — 254 species in the Birbs encyclopedia, with the best-known members to start with.