Animal Fact Sheet
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 Red-tailed
Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
What does it look
like?
- Length: 18 inches Wingspan: 48 inches
- Sexes similar in plumage, but female is larger than male
- Short, dark, hooked beak
- Large, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk
- Dark patagial mark on underwing, present on all ages and races,
is unique
- Extraordinary geographic variation
- Brick-red tail is only present on adult birds, and the color
is extremely variable
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| Where
in the world?
Most common hawk in North America ranging all over the continent
with the exception of the extreme north and parts of central America.
Highly tolerant of human activity and commonly seen along roads,
in agricultural lands, in city parks, etc. Will often hunt by soaring
high. This requires relatively open habitat.
What are some behaviors?
There is evidence that hawks can detect a prey item at 2-3 times
the distance than a human can detect the same animal. The structure
of a hawk’s eye allows the eye to act much like a telescope.
Has benefited from humans habitats. This bird
will sometimes hunt using a - sit and wait - technique, which means
sitting on a tall perch and watching the ground. Telephone poles
serve this purpose very well.
Sometimes will get electrocuted when trying to
land on poles holding electric wires and wings touch two contacts
creating a circuit.
What about offspring?
• Nest in trees, 15-70’ off the ground
• Male and female build a nest of sticks
• 2-3 mottled eggs are laid, predominantly
 cared for by
the female with the male
supplying food
for her
• Incubation about 1 month
• Male and female care for young which
fledge after
about 1.5 months
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What does it eat?
A generalist and highly opportunistic. Small mammals, birds, reptiles,insects
Is it threatened
or endangered?
This bird is the most common hawk in North America
It is protected from harassment or shooting by the U.S. Migratory
Bird Treaty Act.
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