Native Biome: Open country, woodland edges, roadsides
Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
Adults often show a brick-red tail — the classic roadside buteo.
Linnaean Taxonomic Tree
0.7–1.1 kg
Female: 1–1.5 kgStoops and soars
Burst Acceleration10–15 years
Captivity: 20+ yearsCompare Look-Alikes
vs Peregrine Falcon
Vision
Through their eyes
🐣Growth & Lifespan
Birth to old age slider
🔍 Distinctive Diagnostic Markings & Anatomy
Critical morphological field marks naturalists use to verify species identification in the wild.
Variable; many adults with red tail and belly band.
Dark head; stout bill.
Brown.
Unfeathered yellow legs.
Reddish in many adults
Females larger
🍖 Trophic Role & Hunting Strategy
Apex PredatorSoaring/perch hunting small mammals
🏕️ Social Behavior & Activity Rhythms
DiurnalPairs
Biparental
Life Cycle, Growth & Lifespan Journey
| Age | Stage | Length/Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth / Hatch / Day 0 | Nestling | 9–12 cm | 0.05–0.07 kg |
| Early growth | Nestling | 21.1–27.4 cm | 0.128–0.242 kg |
| Mid juvenile | Fledgling | 44.3–56.8 cm | 0.277–0.571 kg |
| Late juvenile | Juvenile | 69.6–88.8 cm | 0.44–0.928 kg |
| Near maturity | Adult | 94.9–121 cm | 0.602–1.3 kg |
How Big Will a Red-tailed Hawk Get?
Calculate estimated adult weight, shoulder height, remaining growth timeline, and weekly development rate based on current age and biometrics.
Conservation Status & Population Dynamics
Abundant
Subject to ongoing wildlife telemetry monitoring
- •Cars
- •Shootings historically
- Habitat protection
- Public education
Field Intelligence & Diagnostic Hub for Red-tailed Hawk
Reddish in many adults
Audio frequency analysis, territorial roar/call synthesis, and harmonic resonance measurements.
Ecosystem food web, trophic interactions, and cohabiting species in North America.
⚖️ Look-Alike Species Differentiation Matrix
Instant one-click comparison tools to prevent common field misidentifications
Red-tailed Hawk vs. Peregrine Falcon
Key DifferentiationPeregrines are pointed-wing falcons with a dark helmet; red-tails are broad-winged buteos.
Red-tailed Hawk vs Eagles and Falcons
Red-tailed hawks are 45–65 cm long with a 114–133 cm wingspan, about as long as a gyrfalcon, the largest falcon, but only around a quarter of the weight of a bald eagle. In flight, their broad rounded wings and short fanned tail separate them from the long plank wings of eagles and the pointed wings of falcons.
Learn how to tell a hawk from an eagle or a falcon by wing shape, size and flight style.
Figures:Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Red-tailed Hawk identification
Hawk vs Eagle vs Falcon
Size, speed, strength, talons and documented encounters between the three groups of raptors, with charts and sources.
Read guide
Hawk Life Cycle
From egg to fledgling to adult: how hawks grow and breed.
Read guide
Animal Vision Simulator
See how raptor eyesight compares with human vision.
Read guideHow to Identify Red-tailed Hawk from a Photograph
Standard operating procedures for photographers and field naturalists submitting sightings for verification.
- 📷Clear side profile
- 📷Head/face close-up
- 📷Full body in natural light
- 🔍Red adult tail
- 🔍Belly band
- 🔍Broad wings
- 🔍Roadside soaring
- ⚠️Assuming all buteos are red-tails
- ⚠️Hollywood “eagle” scream is often this species
Frequently Asked Questions About Red-tailed Hawk
Verified answers compiled by zoologists, wildlife biologists, and field guides.
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