Back to Field Guide
Ferruginous Hawk
Buteo regalis
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Ferruginous Hawk
The ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) is a large bird of prey and belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks. An old colloquial name is ferrugineous rough-leg, due to its similarity to the closely related rough-legged hawk (B. lagopus). The generic name buteo is Latin for 'buzzard'. The specific epithet regalis is Latin for 'royal' (from rex, regis, 'king'). The common name 'ferruginous' means 'rust-colored' or 'reddish-brown'. This species is a large, broad-winged hawk of the open, arid grasslands, prairie and bush steppe country; it is endemic to the interior parts of North America. It is used as a falconry bird in its native ranges.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Buteo regalis
- Family
- Hawks, Eagles, and Kites
- Order
- Accipitriformes
Similar species
Other members of the hawks, eagles, and kites family recorded in North America — a useful place to start if you are not certain of your identification.
- American Goshawk Astur atricapillus
- Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus
- Bicolored Hawk Astur bicolor
- Black Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus tyrannus
- Black Kite Milvus migrans
- Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle Spizaetus melanoleucus
- Black-collared Hawk Busarellus nigricollis
- Broad-winged Hawk Buteo platypterus
- Chinese Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza soloensis
- Common Black Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus
- Cooper's Hawk Astur cooperii
- Crane Hawk Geranospiza caerulescens
Know when the Ferruginous Hawk turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Ferruginous Hawk
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
You don't need to spend a fortune. These four pairs will get you birding confidently on day one.
8 min readRead guide
Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
12 min readRead guide