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General Description: Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis)
are large hawks that are easy to recognize if you see the red tail.
Otherwise, the dark head, bright white breast, dark belly
band, and white belly helps to identify them. In flight, they
usually have black elbows. Red-tails show several color patterns, and
some are difficult to identify. Young birds do not have a red tail.
Red-tailed Hawks are part of a group of hawks called
Buteos, which includes all members of the genus Buteo and related
genera. These hawks are recognized by their broad, rounded wings and
soaring behavior. |
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Favored Habitat: Open deserts with places to perch (e.g., powerpoles) and hunt.
Where to Find: Never common, but found in the desert and around cliffs. Watch for
Red-tails sitting on powerpoles in the open desert.
Comments: |
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Red-tail in flight. Note the black elbows |
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Don't always expect a red tail |
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Even in dark-colored birds, note the dark head, light chest and belly, and dark belly band. |
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Red-tailed Hawk on a high-tension powerline. Note the alternating dark and light pattern on the underside: dark
hood, white breast, dark belly band, and white belly. |
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Even in pale Red-tailed Hawks, there is a bit of a belly band and a dark head. |
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Mounted Red-tailed Hawk on display at Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon. Note
the alternating dark and light pattern on the underside: dark
hood, white breast, dark belly band, and white belly. |
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Mounted Red-tailed Hawk on display at Malhuer National Wildlife Refuge, Oregon. When you can see
it, the red tail uniquely identifies this species. |
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Red-tailed Hawk soaring. |
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Those are some serious hawk toes! |
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Somebody is not happy to see me. |
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If you were a tasty rabbit or a big fat snake, this might be the last face you ever see! |