What is a red-tailed hawk?

The red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ) is a North American bird of prey known for its wide wingspan, large size, and the red coloration on the upper side of its tail. Its geographic range extends across nearly all of North America south of the Arctic Circle in the summer and from the U.S./Canada border southward during the winter. Red-tailed hawks eat small animals, including mammals, reptiles, and other birds. The IUCN classifies the red-tailed hawk as a species of least concern, due to its vast geographic range, rising population, variable diet, and adaptability.

What does a red-tailed hawk look like?

The red-tailed hawk ( Buteo jamaicensis ) is a North American bird of prey known for its wide wingspan and reddish-brown upper tail. Though some can be shades of gray, red-tailed hawks generally have dark brown upperparts and cream-colored underparts, with a band of vertical dark brown streaks across the abdomen. Adult red-tailed hawks range from 45.7 to 63.5 cm (18 to 25 inches) long and weigh between 0.9 and 1.81 kg (2 and 4 pounds). The wingspan of the largest adults reaches more than 1.2 meters (4 feet). Juvenile red-tailed hawks can be distinguished from adults by their tails, which are marked by pale brown bands rather than being reddish-brown.

Where do red-tailed hawks live?

The red-tailed hawk has a vast geographic range, extending across nearly all of North America south of the Arctic Circle in the summer and from the border between the U.S. and Canada southward during the winter. As a partial migrant, some red-tailed hawks migrate south in the winter, while others remain in the same habitat year-round. Many hawks in Canada and the northern United States move to milder climates in the winter. Red-tailed hawks are adaptable, and the IUCN classifies them as a species of least concern.

What do red-tailed hawks eat?

The red-tailed hawk is an apex predator with a varied diet of small animals, including mammals like mice , rats , rabbits , and squirrels . They also consume reptiles such as lizards and snakes, other birds, fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. Red-tailed hawks are "sit-and-wait" predators that perch high to scan for prey, or hover over potential feeding grounds before diving to capture their meal.

How does the red-tailed hawk hunt for food?

The red-tailed hawk is an apex predator with a varied diet of small animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. They are "sit-and-wait" predators, often perching on high objects to scan for prey using their exceptional eyesight. They also hover above potential feeding grounds before diving with legs extended to capture prey, which they usually carry to a perch to eat. Larger prey is eaten on the ground.

Red-tailed hawk

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Images & Videos

Red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) with wings spread and talons extended, preparing to land against a pale blue sky.

A red-tailed hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, with wings spread on the ground facing a long black snake in a grassy, sandy area.

Illustrations of eight bird heads, each showing a different bill shape adapted for feeding: a hooked bill for tearing flesh on a red-tailed hawk, a cone-shaped bill for cracking seeds on a northern cardinal, a flat bill for catching fish on a roseate spoonbill, a spear-like bill for jabbing prey on a great blue heron, a chisel-like bill for digging insects on a northern flicker, a large pouch bill for scooping fish on a brown pelican, a narrow bill with toothlike edges for catching fish on a hoo

Watch a North American raccoon scale a tree to steal eggs from a red-tailed hawk's nest

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Red-tailed hawk

bird

Also known as: Buteo jamaicensis

Written by

Roland Martin

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Nov. 12, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is a red-tailed hawk?
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a North American bird of prey known for its wide wingspan, large size, and the red coloration on the upper side of its tail. Its geographic range extends across nearly all of North America south of the Arctic Circle in the summer and from the U.S./Canada border southward during the winter. Red-tailed hawks eat small animals, including mammals, reptiles, and other birds. The IUCN classifies the red-tailed hawk as a species of least concern, due to its vast geographic range, rising population, variable diet, and adaptability.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hawk
2. red-tailed hawk
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What does a red-tailed hawk look like?
The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a North American bird of prey known for its wide wingspan and reddish-brown upper tail. Though some can be shades of gray, red-tailed hawks generally have dark brown upperparts and cream-colored underparts, with a band of vertical dark brown streaks across the abdomen.

Adult red-tailed hawks range from 45.7 to 63.5 cm (18 to 25 inches) long and weigh between 0.9 and 1.81 kg (2 and 4 pounds). The wingspan of the largest adults reaches more than 1.2 meters (4 feet). Juvenile red-tailed hawks can be distinguished from adults by their tails, which are marked by pale brown bands rather than being reddish-brown.
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Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Where do red-tailed hawks live?
The red-tailed hawk has a vast geographic range, extending across nearly all of North America south of the Arctic Circle in the summer and from the border between the U.S. and Canada southward during the winter. As a partial migrant, some red-tailed hawks migrate south in the winter, while others remain in the same habitat year-round. Many hawks in Canada and the northern United States move to milder climates in the winter. Red-tailed hawks are adaptable, and the IUCN classifies them as a species of least concern.
1 Britannica Source
1. red-tailed hawk
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What do red-tailed hawks eat?
The red-tailed hawk is an apex predator with a varied diet of small animals, including mammals like mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. They also consume reptiles such as lizards and snakes, other birds, fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. Red-tailed hawks are "sit-and-wait" predators that perch high to scan for prey, or hover over potential feeding grounds before diving to capture their meal.
1 Britannica Source
1. red-tailed hawk: Natural history
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How does the red-tailed hawk hunt for food?
The red-tailed hawk is an apex predator with a varied diet of small animals, including mammals, reptiles, birds, fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. They are "sit-and-wait" predators, often perching on high objects to scan for prey using their exceptional eyesight. They also hover above potential feeding grounds before diving with legs extended to capture prey, which they usually carry to a perch to eat. Larger prey is eaten on the ground.
2 Britannica Sources
1. hawk
2. red-tailed hawk: Natural history
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What role does the red-tailed hawk play in its ecosystem?
The red-tailed hawk serves as an apex predator within its ecosystem, consuming various small animals. Its diet includes mammals like mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. In warmer regions, they also eat reptiles, such as lizards and snakes, as well as other birds. They have been known to feed on fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. Red-tailed hawks are "sit-and-wait" predators, often perching high to scan for prey, or they hover over potential feeding grounds before diving to capture their meal. The IUCN classifies the red-tailed hawk as a species of least concern, due to their vast range, rising population, variable diet, and adaptability.
1 Britannica Source
1. red-tailed hawk: Natural history
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Red-tailed hawk, (Buteo jamaicensis), North American bird of prey (family Accipitridae) best known for its wide wingspan, its large size, and the red coloration of the dorsal side of its tail. The species’ geographic range is vast, extending across nearly all of North America south of the Arctic Circle in the summer and from the border between the U.S. and Canada southward during the winter. The species is divided into 15 subspecies, and it is named for its wide rounded tail, whose upperpart is commonly reddish brown.

Natural history

Red-tailed hawks generally have dark brown upperparts, though gray shades can be found on some individuals, with cream-colored underparts and a band of vertical dark brown streaks across the abdomen. Fully grown, females are larger than males, with most adults being between 45.7 and 63.5 cm (18 and 25 inches) long and weighing between 0.9 and 1.81 kg (2 and 4 pounds). The wingspan of the largest adults reaches more than 1.2 meters (4 feet). Juveniles can be distinguished from adults by their tails, which are marked by bands of pale brown rather than being reddish brown. Red-tailed hawks have a high-pitched raspy vocalization, a screech commonly heard as the sound of any raptor (including eagles) in films and on television.

The red-tailed hawk functions as an apex predator in the ecosystems it inhabits, and its diet spans a variety of small animals. Mammals such as mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrels are common prey. Red-tailed hawks also regularly eat reptiles such as lizards and snakes in warmer climates, as well as other birds. They have also been known to feed on fish, amphibians, bats, insects, and carrion. Red-tailed hawks are “sit-and-wait” predators, often perching atop high objects (such as utility poles and tall trees), where they can use their exceptional eyesight to scan the ground for prey. In addition, red-tailed hawks hover above potential feeding grounds before diving methodically and relatively slowly, with legs extended, to capture prey, which they usually carry to their perch to feed on. Larger prey is eaten on the ground.

During courtship, males attempt to impress females by making dramatic diving maneuvers or offering gifts of captured prey. Courtship begins in midair, with the pair locking talons and falling before releasing one another. Mating, however, occurs on the ground. The birds are generally monogamous, choosing one mate for a number of years. Both sexes contribute to the building of nests, which are usually placed atop high trees but may also be located on cliff ledges, in large cacti, or on artificial structures, such as billboards and electric power pylons. (Owls and red-tailed hawks have been known to jockey for nesting sites, which may involve killing the other species’ young or breaking its eggs.) Red-tailed hawks breed in the spring, and breeding females lay between one and five eggs. Both parents take turns incubating the eggs until they hatch roughly a month later. Young hawks begin to leave the nest after 6–7 weeks, but they do not fledge before 9–10 weeks. Juveniles reach nearly full size two months after they hatch, but they will not become sexually mature until age three.

The bird is a partial migrant, meaning that some individuals migrate south in the winter and others remain in the same habitat year-round. Many hawks in Canada and the northern United States move to milder climates in the winter. Migrating raptors generally follow certain lines to avoid landscape features that make long travel more strenuous, such as extensive water crossings. Some populations follow the Appalachian Mountains southward, soaring on updrafts (or thermals, which are rising columns of warm air) to conserve energy. The number of migrating individuals is decreasing, however, as average temperatures in northern latitudes warm (see global warming). A study examining birds of prey in western North America noted that the winter breeding grounds of red-tailed hawks expanded poleward roughly 6 km (3.7 miles) annually between 1975 and 2011.

Conservation status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies the red-tailed hawk as a species of least concern, owing to the bird’s vast geographic range, rising population, variable diet, and adaptability. The red-tailed hawk is expected to thrive under moderate increases in global and regional temperatures, as currently migrating populations increasingly overwinter in their summer habitats. The human environment does, however, pose an increased risk of mortality to red-tailed hawks: some individuals die from collisions with buildings, vehicles, electric power cables, and wind turbines, and others fall victim to poisons, such as pesticides, particularly rodenticides.

Roland Martin

Red-tailed hawk

Natural history

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Conservation status