Solidly dark brown to black bodies and underwings mask the traditional dark belly band and patagial bars. Adults, with brick-red tails are easy but young birds can present identification challenges. Focus on the bird's shape, especially the wing because no other dark phase Buteo will have the broad, rounded trailing wing edge of a Red-tail.

Red-tailed Hawks are large hawks with typical Buteo proportions: very broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Large females seen from a distance might fool you into thinking you’re seeing an eagle.

Buteo is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but "hawk" is used in the New World (Etymology: Buteo is the Latin name of the common buzzard [1]).

Tail: The trademark red tail is present on most adult birds. The exception is the dark "Harlan's Hawk", a bird with a light-colored tail that typically lacks reddish tones. Juvenile birds of all color morphs lack the red tail and instead have a finely barred tail of light and dark horizontal streaks.

The broad-winged hawk is a relatively small Buteo, with a body size from 32 to 44 cm (13 to 17 in) in length and weighing 265 to 560 g (9.3 to 19.8 oz). The tail is relatively short, measuring 14.5–19.0 cm (5.7–7.5 in) in length.

Mar 24, 2025 · The phrases “red-tailed hawk” and “buteo jamaicensis” showed up in 433 research articles in 2023 and 2024, only nine of which dealt solely and directly with red-tails.

Jan 12, 2024 · Buteos are generally large and robust birds of prey. They exhibit a substantial size, with wingspans varying among species but typically ranging from 3 to 4.5 feet. Their sturdy …

There are six species of North American buteos which occur over a considerable portion of the continent north of Mexico. All but one of these species has a "dark" color phase, along with a "light" or normal phase. In many, there are also many intermediate degrees between the …

The short-tailed hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is an American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles and Old World vultures. As a member of the genus Buteo, it is not a true hawk and thus also referred to as a "buteo" or (outside North America) "buzzard".

Broad-winged hawk (Buteo platypterus) has large wings and banded tail but also is reddish brown or gray below. Habitat: Found in cypress swamps, sand pine scrub, tropical hammocks, temperate hardwood and pine forests near water, and mangroves.