Hawks & Eagles

Red-tailed Hawk

Rotschwanzbussard

Buteo jamaicensis

Hawks & Eagles1 photoFirst seen: 11 July 2026

The Red-tailed Hawk is a broad-winged raptor common across much of North America. Adults usually have a reddish upper tail, but plumage varies greatly between regions and individuals. It hunts mainly small mammals from exposed perches or while soaring over open ground. Pairs often reuse the same territory and nest area for several years. Its loud descending scream is frequently used as a generic raptor call in films.

ID tip: Look for the dark patagial bar running along the leading edge of the underwing. It shows in nearly every plumage, including juveniles that lack the red tail.

First seen: 11 July 2026 · Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area · 1 photo in the collection.

Places in my records

Locations where this species is supported by a dated first record, an unambiguous single-place outing or a reviewed assignment.

Oyhut Wildlife Recreation Area11 July 2026

Family: Hawks & Eagles (Accipitridae)
Length: 45–65 cm
Wingspan: 105–141 cm
Regional status: Year-round resident (Pacific Northwest, USA)
Conservation: Least Concern LCIUCN Red List · retrieved 27 August 2026
Habitat: Open country, farmland, roadsides and woodland edge
Diet: Rodents, rabbits and squirrels; also birds and reptiles

Built from verified occurrence records, not drawn by hand. Core range = the countries holding 99% of all records; the rest are scattered or vagrant records. Record counts track where people watch birds as much as where the birds are, so the map shows presence, not abundance. Data: GBIF (CC BY 4.0). Basemap: Natural Earth.

Red-tailed Hawk

Places in my records

Selected photographs