General Description: Adult Zone-tailed Hawks (Buteo albonotatus) are all-black hawks with two white bands on the tail. In flight, the trailing side of the wings shows a light background with fine black barring. In younger birds (photos on this page), the white on the tail looks like multiple narrow bands or a single wide band.

Zone-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.

Taxonomy: Accipitriformes, Accipitridae.

Favored Habitat: Riparian canyons in the desert, mostly in Arizona, New Mexico, and south into Mexico.

Where to Find: These birds can be found around Las Vegas, but look for them in the canyon of central and southern Arizona.

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