Red-tailed Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Light morph adult
- Variable belly band of dark splotches
- White throat
- White chest
- Tail pale reddish from below
- © Steve Neitzel, AL, Gulf Shores, December 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Large hawk
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Reddish tail with thin black band near tip
- Mottled white shoulder patches
- © Don Holland, OR, April 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Variable belly band of dark splotches
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Dusky trailing edge to wings
- © ashockenberry, Ontario, Canada, September 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Juvenile
- Tail dull brown with many dark bars
- Mottled white shoulder patches
- Moderately short, square tail
- © Kevin J. McGowan, NY, Tompkins Co, November 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Light morph adult
- Variable belly band of dark streaks
- Dark throat
- Pale rusty wash across belly
- Bare yellow legs
- © Pam Koch, AZ, Flaggstaff, February 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Light moprh adult
- Moderately short, square tail
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Belly markings highly variable; may be nearly clean white
- © Steven Smith sgs1966, January 2009
Red-tailed Hawk
Dark morph adult
- Dark all over
- Reddish tail
- Bare yellow legs
- Moderately short, square tail
- © Christine Haines, February 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Dark morph adult
- Extremely variable; some light, some dark
- Dark all over
- Reddish tail
- Bare yellow legs
- © Janet Rosenberg, February 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Rufous morph adult
- All dark chest and belly
- Dark rufous head and chest
- Amount of rusty varies considerably
- Reddish tail
- © Dennis Curry, AZ, Florence, January 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Rufous morph adult
- Dark rufous head and chest
- Dark chest and belly, barred with rufous
- Amount of rusty varies considerably
- © Donald Metzner, December 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Pale adult
- Mottled white shoulder patches
- Reddish tail
- Some with large amounts of white on head; this individual is extreme
- Moderately short, square tail
- © T. R. Michels, MN, Burnsville, October 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Juvenile
- Thick, dark streaks across belly
- White chest
- Tail with many dark bars
- Bare yellow legs
- © lynnmsmith, DE, Rehoboth Beach, February 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Juvenile
- Variable belly band of dark streaks
- Reddish wash across chest
- Large hawk
- Bare yellow legs
- © Lorcan Keating, CA, San Francisco, August 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Dark leading edge to wings
- Variable belly band of dark splotches
- © Betty Lemley, NJ, February 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Variable belly band of dark streaks, some with nearly none
- Moderately short, square tail
- © Ricardo Turner, August 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Large hawk
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Dark leading edge to wings
- Dusky trailing edge to wings
- © France Dewaghe, DE, Wilmington, March 2006
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Tail pale reddish from below
- Variable belly band of dark streaks
- Moderately short, square tail
- © Donald Metzner, February 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Reddish tail with thin black band near tip
- Variable amount of black barring in rest of tail
- Mottled white shoulder patches
- © Ted Schroeder, February 2007
Red-tailed Hawk
Adult
- Reddish tail with thin black band near tip
- Long, broad, rounded wings
- Mottled white shoulder patches
- © Gil Miller, VA, Vienna, February 2008
Red-tailed Hawk
Albino
- Large hawk
- Individuals with variable amounts of white in plumage common
- Extreme individuals can be pure white
- Moderately short, square tail
- © John Stanek, CO, Westminster, February 2008
Similar Species
Adult
- Orange and white barred breast and belly
- Brown back with white mottling
- White barred wings
- Black tail with white bands
- © Lew Scharpf, Auburn, AL, January 2009
Adult
- Smaller and more slender
- Orange and white barred breast and belly
- White barred wings
- Often shows rufous shoulder mark
- © tsiya, FL, November 2007
Immature
- Brown back with white mottling
- Dark tail with brown bands
- © monteverde2000, RI, February 2008
Immature
- Brown back with white mottling
- Dark tail with brown bands
- Pale breast with even brown streaks
- © tsiya, FL, January 2009
Adult
- Black tail with white bands
- Orangish shoulders (may not be obvious)
- Barred undersides to primaries
- © Lorcan Keating, San Francisco, CA, October 2008
Adult
- Usually shows pale (translucent) patches near wingtips
- Black tail with white bands
- Orangish shoulders (may not be obvious)
- Barred undersides to primaries
- © Ken Schneider, FL, February 2009
Adult light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Brown chest, white belly
- Dark head, white throat and forehead
- Dark back, white shoulders
- © Gerry Dewaghe, Manitoba, Canada
Adult light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Brown chest, white belly
- Dark head, white throat and forehead
- Dark back, white shoulders
- © Gerry Dewaghe, Manitoba, Canada, June 2007
Immature
- Pale head with variable amount of dark markings
- Dark brown and white mottled breast
- Brown back with limited white mottling
- © Larry Meade, Katy Prairie, TX, April 2006
Adult light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Brown chest with white throat and face, white belly
- White shoulders and dark flight feathers
- Tail indistinctly barred pale and dark
- © Scott Taylor, Berthoud, CO, September 2004
Adult intermediate morph
- Similar to darker plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Dark chest and upperparts, rufous belly
- White forehead, chin, and undertail
- © Scott Taylor, Weld Co., CO, June 2005
Immature
- Pale breast with thin, brown streaking
- Reddish brown head, brown back
- Long, brown and gray barred tail
- Yellow eye
- Sleek shape
- © Michael Hogan, NJ, February 2006
Immature
- Pale breast with thin, brown streaking
- Long, brown and gray barred tail
- Yellow eye; long, yellow legs
- Sleek shape
- © William Jobes, PA, January 2009
Adult
- Slate gray back and crown
- Orange and white barred breast and belly
- Long, light and dark gray barred tail
- Pale cheek and nape
- © Michael Hogan, NJ, April 2004
Adult
- Slate gray back and crown
- Orange and white barred breast and belly
- Long, light and dark gray barred tail
- Red eye
- © Seth Reams, Portland, OR, October 2007
Immature
- Proportionally short, broad wings
- Large, long, rounded black and white barred tail
- Pale breast with thin, brown streaking
- Underside of wings barred black and white
- © William Jobes, PA, September 2008
Light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Dark belly, pale chest with dark streaking
- Pale head
- Dark tail with white base
- Dark back with limited white mottling
- © Ronaldok, Alberta, Canada, January 2009
Light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Dark back with limited white mottling
- Pale head with indistinct dark eyeline
- Dark tail with white base
- © Ronaldok, Alberta, Canada, December 2008
Light morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- Dark wrist patches contrast with white primaries
- Dark belly, pale chest with dark streaking
- Pale head
- Tail with white base and dark tip
- © Bill Corwin, WA, December 2007
Adult light-morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- White throat, breast, and belly
- Barred rufous sides and feathered legs
- Rufous back with black markings
- Pale face, wide gape
- © Gerry Dewaghe, December 2008
Adult light-morph
- Similar to lighter plumages of Red-tailed Hawk
- White throat, breast, and belly
- Reddish leg feathers
- Mostly white wings with dark tips and reddish shoulders
- Whitish tail
- © Robinsegg, UT, November 2005
Adult
- Pale underwings with black border
- Dark brown head and chest, pale belly
- Dark tail with one thick white band
- © Byard Miller, Newmarket, NH, June 2008
Immature
- Brown back with white mottling
- Long, black and brown banded tail with uneven bands
- White eyebrow usually obvious
- © Matt MacGillivray, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 2009
Immature
- Brown back with white mottling
- Long, black and brown banded tail with uneven bands
- Buffy breast with brown streaking
- White eyebrow usually obvious
- © Matt MacGillivray, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, January 2009
Adult female
- Flat face with pale collar
- Streaked nape and breast
- Very long wings and tail
- Yellow eye
- White rump in flight
- © Kevin Bolton, NJ, February 2009