What's that Bird?

The Red-Tailed Hawk: Master of the Skies

The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is one of North America’s most widespread and recognizable birds of prey. With its piercing scream and distinctive reddish-brown tail, this raptor has become a symbol of strength and freedom across the continent. Found from the dense forests of Canada to the deserts of Mexico, the red-tailed hawk is a highly adaptable predator that plays a crucial role in its ecosystem.

Fun fact: You’ve probably heard a Red-Tailed Hawk’s shriek more times than you realize. Picture this – You’re watching your favorite TV show or movie and the camera pans to a bald eagle flying majestically over a mountain or dry desert. “Keeee-aaahhh!”, screams the eagle…except that sound is NEVER an eagle’s call; it’s almost always canned-sound from a red-tailed hawk. Their call is so iconic that directors use them for almost every bird of prey on film. Listen to it here.

Red-tailed hawks are large birds, typically measuring 18 to 26 inches in length, with a wingspan of 3.5 to 4.5 feet. Adults are generally brown on top with a pale, streaked underbelly. Their most distinguishing feature—the rich, brick-red tail—is often visible when they soar or perch. Juveniles lack the red tail and instead have a banded brown one which develops with age.

Their eyesight is among the sharpest in the animal kingdom—up to eight times better than a human’s—allowing them to spot prey from high altitudes. That prey includes small and medium-sized rodents, snakes, and even other birds.

Red-tailed hawks are highly versatile, thriving in deserts, grasslands, forests, urban parks, and even roadside poles (be sure to scan the poles around Mercer Meadows). They are found throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada down to Panama. Their adaptability to various environments, including cities, has helped maintain a stable population despite habitat loss elsewhere.

They often hunt from a high perch, swooping down with powerful talons when prey is spotted. Their hunting style is a mix of soaring in wide circles and perch-and-pounce tactics, depending on terrain and prey availability.

Red-tailed hawks are monogamous and often mate for life. Each breeding season, they build large nests in tall trees or on cliff ledges—sometimes even on buildings or telephone poles. The female typically lays 1 to 3 eggs, and both parents help incubate and feed the young.

They are also territorial birds, especially during breeding season, and will defend their nesting sites aggressively against intruders. They really are quite aggressive, and will often bully other birds of prey out of their field. I’ve seen them tangle with Short-Eared Owls, Cooper’s Hawks and Northern Harriers…and the Red-Tailed Hawk always comes out on top.

As top predators, red-tailed hawks help control populations of rodents and other small mammals. By doing so, they contribute to the health of ecosystems and even benefit agriculture by reducing pest numbers.

Fortunately, red-tailed hawks are listed as a species of Least Concern by the IUCN. Their population is stable and even increasing in some areas, thanks to legal protection under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and their ability to thrive in a variety of habitats.

I hope you got to know this incredible raptor a little better.

Listen to the Red-Tailed Hawk.