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Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Audubon Illustration
John James Audubon, Birds of America (1827-1838). Public domain.
Migration Flyway
Showing primary migration corridor(s) for this species
Last Spotted Near You
About the Red-tailed Hawk
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. The red-tailed hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous forests, agricultural fields, and urban areas. It is absent in areas of unbroken forest and in the high arctic.
Source: Wikipedia
Classification
- Scientific name
- Buteo jamaicensis
- 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 Red-tailed Hawk turns up near you
How rare bird alerts work →Gear for spotting Red-tailed Hawk
Optics
Best Binoculars for Beginners
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Cameras
Cameras for Bird Photography
From phone adapters to dedicated rigs, here's what actually works for capturing birds in the field.
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