Bird Album
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, JF, 1788)
45–56 cmLength1.1 kgWeight
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey and one of the most common hawks in North America.
Busiest months: January, April–May and October–November · Most records: United States, Canada, Mexico
Where and when it's recorded
Red-tailed Hawk has been recorded at 1,109 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 23 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Central ParkUnited States20,620 records
- Prospect ParkUnited States19,363 records
- Sweetwater WetlandsUnited States17,492 records
More places
- Mount Auburn CemeteryUnited States12,179 records
- Green-Wood Cemetery, BrooklynUnited States11,744 records
- Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually NWRUnited States11,474 records
- Reifel Bird SanctuaryCanada10,721 records
- Frank G. Bonelli RP/Puddingstone Reservoir and vicinityUnited States10,490 records
- Ridgefield NWR – River 'S' UnitUnited States8,727 records
- Parker River NWRUnited States8,196 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey and one of the most common hawks in North America. In the United States, it is one of three species colloquially known as the "chickenhawk". The red-tailed hawk breeds throughout most of the continent, from western Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Red-tailed Hawk?
The Red-tailed Hawk is about 45–56 cm long and weighs around 1.1 kg.
Where does the Red-tailed Hawk live?
Its breeding range: North America, Middle America: widespread. It is most often recorded in United States, Canada and Mexico.
When is the best time to see the Red-tailed Hawk?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, April, May, October and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Red-tailed Hawk endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-tailed Hawk as Least Concern.
What does the Red-tailed Hawk eat?
Main food: Vertebrate prey.
What family is the Red-tailed Hawk in?
It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.
At a glance
- Length
- 45–56 cm
- Weight
- 1.1 kg
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Vertebrate prey
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 403 mm
- Tail
- 212 mm
- Bill
- 38 mm
- Tarsus
- 81 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
North America, Middle America: widespread
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
- Genus
- Buteo
Other birds in the genus Buteo
Grey HawkButeo plagiatus
Grey-lined HawkButeo nitidus
Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus
Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
Ridgway's HawkButeo ridgwayi
Zone-tailed HawkButeo albonotatus
Hawaiian HawkButeo solitarius
White-throated HawkButeo albigula
Short-tailed HawkButeo brachyurus
Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni
Galapagos HawkButeo galapagoensis
Rufous-tailed HawkButeo ventralis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Craig K. Hunt. ↗
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