Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Scientific name definitions

This species account is dedicated in honor of Jerry Liguori, a long-time contributor to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, whose knowledge, passion, and dedication to the study of North American raptor identification is unsurpassed.

One of the most widespread and commonly observed birds of prey in North America, the Red-tailed Hawk (hereafter Red-tail) occupies a broad range of habitats from central Alaska south to Venezuela and east to the Virgin Islands. Breeding behavior, summer food habits, and habitat use have been well documented in many of these regions, but the taxonomic status of some populations remains unclear. The species varies greatly across its range, with up to 16 subspecies recognized by various authorities. Races are usually distinguished by ventral coloration, tail markings, and/or size, but there is no clear geographic trend in any of these characters. Some populations are polymorphic in ventral coloration (i.e., polychromatic), ranging from nearly white to nearly black, and extensive inter-gradation among adjacent subspecies complicates taxonomic relationships. Migration is diurnal, with the extent of migration varying annually depending on weather, especially snow cover. Most migratory movements are < 1500 km, and migrants rarely make water crossings > 25 km. In northernmost populations most individuals migrate south, while those breeding in the southern U.S. and n. Mexico are year-round residents.

Generally monogamous, this species initiates courtship and maintains the pair bond with spectacular aerial maneuvers performed by both members of the pair. Territories are vigorously defended at least during the breeding season, and may be defended year-round by sedentary birds and where overwintering density is high. Territory size varies with habitat and food availability but typically ranges from about 1.25 km² to more than 2.5 km²; minimum reported inter-nest distance is 0.32 km. At least in sedentary birds, mates stay paired throughout the year. In interior North America, first eggs are laid in mid-late March, but eggs are known as early as December in the tropics. Clutch size is typically 2-3, and incubation lasts about 28 days. Young leave the nest 42-46 days after hatching, but may remain associated with parents up to six months longer.

Throughout its range, this hawk typically inhabits open areas interspersed with patches of trees or structurally similar features. However, Red-tails also nest in high densities in closed-canopy rain and cloud forests in tropical regions. The species is primarily a sit-and-wait predator and generally requires elevated perch sites for hunting. Where it inhabits closed-canopy tropical forests, however, the Red-tail dives on prey from the air far above the canopy. It may also catch bats and other, highly concentrated, flying prey in the air. Occasionally, members of this species capture insects and other prey on foot. The species' diet includes a wide variety of small to medium-sized mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and fresh carrion.

This is a common hawk. The global population of 2,000,000 or more is considered stable or slightly increasing, although numbers may be declining slightly in the mixed-woodland plains of far eastern Canada. Populations increased through much of North America during the mid-to-late 20th century, apparently in response to the widespread establishment of open, wooded parkland in place of grassland or dense forest. This species is tolerant of exurban development and agricultural development as long as food is available and the converted landscape includes adequate open space and perch sites for hunting and tall trees or other structures for nesting. Some individuals successfully breed in large, urban environments.

Most information on life history and ecology for this species comes from studies in interior North America of breeding populations (e.g., 1 Fitch, H. S., F. Swensen, and D. F. Tillotson (1946). Behavior and food habits of the Red-tailed Hawk. Condor 48:205–217. Close , 2 Craighead, J. J., and F. C. Craighead, Jr. (1969). Hawks, Owls, and Wildlife. Dover Publications, New York, NY, USA. Close , 3 Orians, G. and F. Kuhlman. (1956). Red-tailed Hawk and Great Horned Owl populations in Wisconsin. Condor 58:371-385. Close , 4 Luttich, S. N., D. H. Rusch, E. C. Meslow and L. B. Keith. (1970). Ecology of Red-tailed Hawk predation in Alberta. Ecology 51:190-203. Close , 5 Luttich, S. N., L. B. Keith and J. D. Stephenson. (1971). Population dynamics of the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) at Rochester, Alberta. Auk 88:75-87. Close , 6 Gates, J. M. (1972). Red-tailed Hawk populations and ecology in east central Wisconsin. Wilson Bulletin 84:421-433. Close , 7 Johnson, S. J. (1975d). Productivity of the Red-tailed Hawk in southwestern Montana. Auk 92:732-736. Close , 8 Mader, W. J. (1978). A comparative nesting study of Red-tailed Hawks and Harris's Hawks in southern Arizona. Auk 95:327-337. Close , 9 Petersen, L. (1979a). Ecology of Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks in southeastern Wisconsin. Wis. Dep. Nat. Resour. Tech. Bull. 111. Close , 10 Kirkley, J. S. and M. A. Springer. (1980). Nesting populations of Red-tailed Hawks and Great Horned Owls in central Ohio. Raptor Research 14:22-28. Close , 11 Stout, W. E., R. K. Anderson and J. M. Papp. (1998). Urban, suburban and rural Red-tailed Hawk nesting habitat and populations in southeast Wisconsin. Journal of Raptor Research 32 (3):221-228. Close , 12 Stout, W. E., S. A. Temple and J. R. Cary. (2006a). Landscape features of red-tailed hawk nesting habitat in an urban/suburban environment. Journal of Raptor Research 40 (3):181-192. Close ) and wintering populations (e.g., 2 Craighead, J. J., and F. C. Craighead, Jr. (1969). Hawks, Owls, and Wildlife. Dover Publications, New York, NY, USA. Close , 9 Petersen, L. (1979a). Ecology of Great Horned Owls and Red-tailed Hawks in southeastern Wisconsin. Wis. Dep. Nat. Resour. Tech. Bull. 111. Close , 13 Preston, C. R. (1980). Differential perch site selection by color morphs of the Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis. Auk 97:782-789. Close , 14 Bildstein, K. L. (1987a). Behavioral ecology of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis), Rough-legged Hawks (Buteo lagopus), Northern Harriers (Circus cyaneus), and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) in south central Ohio. Ohio Biol. Surv. Biol. Notes 18. Close , 15 Preston, C. R. (1990). Distribution of raptor foraging in relation to prey biomass and habitat structure. Condor 92:107-112. Close , 16 Garner, H. D. and J. C. Bednarz. (2000). Habitat use by Red-tailed Hawks wintering in the delta region of Arkansas. Journal of Raptor Research 34 (1):26-32. Close , 17 Leyhe, J. E. and G. Ritchison. (2004). Perch sites and hunting behavior of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis). Journal of Raptor Research 38 (1):19-25. Close ), but important contributions from Puerto Rico (e.g., 18 Snyder, N. F. R., J. W. Wiley and C. B. Kepler. (1987c). The parrots of Luquillo: natural history and conservation of the Puerto Rican Parrot. Los Angeles, CA: West. Found. Vertebr. Zool. Close , 19 Santana, E. and S. A. Temple. (1988). Breeding biology and diet of Red-tailed Hawks in Puerto Rico. Biotropica 20 (2):151-160. Close , 20 Boal, C. W., H. A. Snyder, B. D. Bibles and T. S. Estabrook. (2003). Temporal and spatial stability of Red-tailed Hawk territories in the Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico. Journal of Raptor Research 37 (4):277-285. Close ) have expanded our understanding of how this species adapts to a wide array of habitats across its range. Life history and ecology in the tropics outside of Puerto Rico remains poorly documented, however. The Red-tailed Hawk provides a model for a highly-adaptable, generalist predator, and ongoing studies across its range should provide important insights into how some species are better able than others to exploit varied conditions and persist in rapidly changing environments.