The Red-tailed Hawk is a broad-winged hawk often seen on roadside poles in the United States. Adults usually show a rusty-red tail, but young birds have brown, barred tails.
Appearance
- Appearance
- It has broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Most adults show a rusty-red tail, while juveniles have a brown barred tail.
Look-alikes
Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus
An adult Red-shouldered Hawk has reddish bands across the chest and a black tail with narrow white bands. An adult Red-tailed Hawk is larger, with a shorter-looking tail that is usually rusty red.
Why they get mixed upBoth are broad-winged hawks seen in the eastern United States.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Open fields
- Roadsides and woodland edges
- Range
- Widespread across the continental United States in open country, from grasslands to suburban edges.
- Seasonal presence
- Some northern birds migrate, while many birds farther south remain year-round.
- When it’s recorded
Recorded year-round, every year
175,574 observations in the US · 10 years · for reference
Behavior
- Diet
- Small mammals such as voles, mice, and rabbits make up much of its food; it also takes birds and snakes.
- Activity
- It often watches from a pole or soars in wide circles over fields.
Life cycle
- Nest
- Pairs build a large stick nest in a tall tree, on a cliff ledge, or sometimes on a human-made structure.
- Clutch size
- 1–5 eggs
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction