The Red-Tailed Hawk Flight page contains 55 images and flight study composites of Light, Intermediate
and Dark morph juvenile and adult Red-Tailed Hawks from several locations in the Western United States.

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Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5547

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk patrols the skies at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

There are several subspecies of the Red-Tailed Hawk with highly variable appearance, but even
within the primary species there are three major variations in plumage and overlapping variations.
These plumage variations are called the Light, Intermediate and Dark morphs, and there are also
Light and Dark Intermediates. Light morph Harlan’s Red-Tailed Hawks can be quite pale. There
 are also Rufous phase Red-Tailed Hawks with reddish-brown feathers in light and dark morphs.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5548

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5549

Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawks have chocolate brown or reddish-brown feathers on the head, back,
breast, belly, flanks and dark patagial markings (leading edge of the wing) on all underwing coverts.
Primary and secondary feathers (rear of the wing) are pale, and the trailing edge of the wing is dark.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5561

The brown, slightly mottled and barred upper wing and back feathers of a Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk
over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, showing the brick red upper tail for which this hawk is named.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk XL

A 1500 x 1092 version of the XL Composite image (3000 x 2125).

A composite image showing the upper and lower body and wings of a Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk
over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Note the dark body, central wing and shoulder.
The upper side of the tail feathers of all Red-Tails are brick red, the underside of the tail is red-orange.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5565

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico.
Note the red-orange underside of the broad, fan-shaped tail. Some subspecies of the
Red-Tailed Hawk do not have this red tail (the pale Krider’s Red-Tail has a white tail
with a light red to pink area at the end of the tail, and both light and dark Harlan’s
have a uniform, light tail). Juvenile Red-Tailed Hawks have a light banded tail.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5566

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk 5568

Below are two Flight Study composites of this Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk at Bosque del Apache.

Dark Morph Red-Tail Flight Study XXL

A 1500 x 1000 pixel version of the XXL Flight Study Composite (6000 x 4000)
of a Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, NM.

Dark Morph Red-Tail Flight Study SXL

A 2000 x 500 pixel version of the SXL Flight Study Composite (8000 x 2000)
of a Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Eagles     Red-Tailed Hawks     Assorted Hawks
Owl and Harrier        Falcons & Kites        Osprey

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk HS9138

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk flying low over Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X3974

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X3976

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk circling over the Farm Fields at Bosque del Apache.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X3980

Note the nearly uniform dark brown body, head and underwing coverts of the Dark morph Red-Tail.
Primary and secondary feathers are pale and barred, with a dark band at the wingtips and trailing edges.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X3979

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X3983

Red-Tailed Hawks primarily eat small mammals such as mice and squirrels, but
they also eat rabbits, gophers, pigeons and other birds, reptiles, fish and insects.
They hunt using two different techniques: from a perch and scanning from the air.

In perch hunting, the hawk scans for prey from an elevated perch such as a
utility pole or a tree, swooping down from the perch to capture its marked prey.
They also scan for prey while soaring overhead at great height, snatching a bird in
flight or chasing down prey spotted from the air, pinning it in their sharp talons.
Red-Tailed Hawks have been observed hunting in pairs, soaring together or
staking out two sides of a tree, one flushing a squirrel towards the other.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X6645

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk scans for prey over the fields of Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Dark Morph Red-Tailed Hawk X6648

A Dark morph Red-Tailed Hawk beginning a dive at Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

There are several subspecies of the Red-Tailed Hawk with highly variable appearance, but even
within the primary species there are three major variations in plumage and overlapping variations.
These plumage variations are called the Light, Intermediate and Dark morphs, and there are also
Light and Dark Intermediates. Light morph Harlan’s Red-Tailed Hawks can be quite pale. There
 are also Rufous phase Red-Tailed Hawks with reddish-brown plumage in light and dark morphs.

Red-Tailed Hawk Morphs M

A larger-than-normal (1800 x 1200) preview of the SXXL (6900 x 4600) composite which
shows images of various Red-Tailed Hawk morphs with legends identifying the variations.

Red-Tailed Hawks have three variations (or morphs), the Light, Intermediate and Dark morphs.
The differences in the morphs are based upon the belly, shoulder and central wing markings and
the body color. Light and Intermediate morphs have buff to orange dark-streaked bodies and
a dark patch at the shoulder. The body streaks on the Light morph can be very light, and the
 shoulder markings can be narrower. The Dark morph has a dark body and central wing.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Eagles     Red-Tailed Hawks     Assorted Hawks
Owl and Harrier        Falcons & Kites        Osprey

Red-Tailed Hawk 0275 M

A Light-Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk soars over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge in California.

All of the landscape (horizontal) large version images linked from the thumbnails are 1500 pixels wide.
Portrait (vertical) images are 1200 pixels tall (1290 pixels with title bar). Images designated with an “M”
in the shot number are 5:4 aspect ratio, 1500 x 1290 with a title bar, or 1500 x 1200 without a title bar.
Some of the portrait images are also designated as “M”, and are 1500 pixels tall (plus the title bar).

Red-Tailed Hawk 0278

Red-Tailed Hawk 0281

Light and Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawks have a tan-orange to buff body with a light to dark reddish brown
belly band and dark underwing coverts at the leading edge of the wing (darker and broader in Intermediate morphs).
Compare the belly band and the depth of the dark area at the leading edge of the wing in this hawk and the next two.

Red-Tailed Hawk X9047

Red-Tailed Hawk 1948

Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawks in the skies over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Note the darker belly bands and deeper patagial markings at the leading edge of the wings.

Red-Tailed Hawk 3325

An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk, taken head-on at Bolsa Chica Wildlife Refuge.

Red-Tailed Hawks are one of the largest in the genus Buteo, known as the soaring hawks.
They are the most commonly seen hawks, and are generally soaring at a significant height.
As with most raptors, the females are larger than the males, averaging about 25% heavier.

Red-Tailed Hawk 3336c

Red-Tailed Hawk 3334c

An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk patrols the skies above Bolsa Chica wetlands.

One of three hawk species known as Chicken Hawks, the Red-Tailed Hawk prefers hunting in open areas
such as fields or desert and perches in trees or other high places from which they can keep watch for prey.
Red-Tails occupy a variety of habitats from desert and grasslands to forest edges, fields and urban areas.

Red-Tailed Hawk 5639 M

An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk soaring over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Red-Tailed Hawks weigh from 2 to 4 pounds (averaging 2.25 pounds) and are generally
18” to 25” long with a wingspan of 41” to 56”. They have relatively broad 7.5” to 10” tails.
They are a heavily-built hawk with a brown-streaked belly band on a light underside in
the Light and Intermediate morphs, a cinnamon brown head which appears small in
comparison to the body size, a short, dark curved bill with light gray to yellow cere
and gap skin (skin at the base of the bill and edge of the mouth) and yellow legs.
Their talons are exceedingly sharp. Juveniles have yellow eyes which darken to
an amber color with age. The tail of the primary species is brick red on top and
red-orange on the underside. Juveniles have a light tail with dark horizontal bars.

Red-Tailed Hawk 5634

Red-Tailed Hawk 5638

An Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk in a soaring turn over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Red-Tailed Hawk Flight Study XL

A 2000 x 589 pixel version of the XL Flight Study Composite (4500 x 1325)
of an Intermediate Red-Tailed Hawk over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Eagles     Red-Tailed Hawks     Assorted Hawks
Owl and Harrier        Falcons & Kites        Osprey

Red-Tailed Hawk X3336

A Light-Intermediate morph Red-Tailed Hawk soaring over Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Note the shallower patagial markings at the leading edge of the wing and the sparser belly band.

I called this individual Pale Tail for obvious reasons (not to be confused with Pale Male, see below).

Red-Tailed Hawk X3337

The Red-Tailed Hawk has spread to an extremely diverse range of habitats in an unusual adaptation to the
pattern of human development of the country. The clearing of forests in the Northwest created hunting areas
which the hawks took advantage of, and the preservation of wood lots and the planting of new trees created
nesting sites near these new hunting areas. Highways with open median areas, road signs and utility poles
created perches and open areas for perch hunting, and the fact that the hawks are not bothered by human
activity allows them to nest and live in areas where there are large numbers of humans, such as in cities
where pigeons and rats can be found to supplement their diet. The most famous Red-Tailed Hawk in
history was a good example: Pale Male became the first Red-Tailed Hawk to successfully nest and
raise his young in New York City’s Manhattan Borough. Click the link for the story of Pale Male.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7498

A juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail in the long rays of the setting sun over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7501 M

The sparse patagial markings at the leading edge of the wing identify this as a Light-Intermediate morph.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7503 M

Achieving an accurate exposure of this hawk was challenging, as the wings reflected the setting sun.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7502

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7508

If you look carefully at the image above left you will notice that the nictating membrane is closed.

The nictating membrane is a translucent third eyelid which the bird uses to
protect and moisten the eye or remove debris while maintaining visibility.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tail X7518-19

A juvenile Southwestern Red-Tailed Hawk in flight at sunset over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Juvenile Southwestern Red-Tailed Hawk XXL

This 1600 x 900 version of the XXL Flight Study Composite (7500 x 4219) shows
7 images of a Light-Intermediate juvenile Southwestern Red-Tailed Hawk, patrolling
over the fields at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge just before sunset in late November.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Eagles     Red-Tailed Hawks     Assorted Hawks
Owl and Harrier        Falcons & Kites        Osprey

Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0705 M

Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0708 M

A Light morph juvenile Harlan’s Red-Tailed Hawk taken in Grand Tetons National Park, Wyoming.

The Harlan’s Hawk is a very dark form which breeds in Alaska and Northern Canada. There are
Dark and Light morphs, both of which have light tails without the typical reddish cast. The markings
are dark brown to black, without reddish tones, and most individuals are Dark morph (under 1% Light).
Harlan’s Red-Tail was once considered to be a separate species until intergrade variations were found.

Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0707c

Harlan’s Red-Tail Light Morph Juvenile 0708c

The Light morph Harlan’s Red-Tail is darker above and lighter below than a Light morph Red-Tail.
They typically have a white throat and dark brown to charcoal black markings with no reddish tone.

Harlan’s Hawks winter in the northwestern area of the US and the Great Plains. Since its discovery in
the early 1800s, the Harlan’s Hawk has been considered to be a separate species several times, and
as a subspecies of the Red-Tailed Hawk at least twice. The subject is continues to be controversial.
Their wingtips are shorter than the typical Red-Tailed Hawk. The Harlan’s Hawk interbreeds with
Red-Tailed Hawks, and intergrade variations result with varying amounts of red in the tail.
Once scholar has stated that the presumed parents were both Harlans, but one parent
had more red in the tail, thus he is using the intergrade variations to reinstate the
argument that the Harlan’s Hawk and Red-Tailed Hawks are separate species.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2781

An Intermediate Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk in flight over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Similar in appearance to Light morph Red-Tailed Hawks, but with reddish-brown plumage,
wider, darker and more pronounced patagial (leading edge) wing and belly band markings,
the Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk is often said to include all Intermediate morphs. Since
there are Intermediate morph Red-Tails which have brown plumage without a reddish cast,
and there are Rufous morph Red-Tails which are obviously Dark morph, I and some others
consider Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawks to include those which have the reddish cast
to their plumage, and Intermediate as a description of darker Light morph individuals.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2785

An Intermediate juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk over Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge.

Due to the amount of white in the streaked throat, this identification was somewhat difficult,
but the reddish-brown cast to the dark plumage seen in the better-lit images made it likely
that this is either a streaky Rufous morph juvenile or an intergrade hybrid. Harlan’s Hawks
have been known to be in California during the winter, so an intergrade hybrid is possible.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2790

Note the color cast to the junction between the neck and right wing.

Identification of some Red-Tailed Hawks can be tricky as there is a lot of variation.
Sometimes, you have to decide that you cannot identify a particularly unusual bird.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2792c

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2796c

Two detail crops of an Intermediate juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk at Sepulveda Wildlife Refuge
showing the white-streaked throat and reddish-brown plumage which indicate that this may be a crossbreed
between a Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk and a Harlan’s Hawk. This is one of those difficult identifications.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2805

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile X2809c

An Intermediate juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tail (above) and a Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tail (below).
Note the similarities in the barred tails and trailing edges of the wings. The Dark Rufous Juvenile obviously has
no white throat streaking and rufous undertail coverts, but there is also a similarity to the dark underwing coverts.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4292

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4293

A Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk in the skies over Newport Back Bay in Southern California.
There are portraits of this individual on the Red-Tailed Hawk Portraits page. This juvenile was flying between
a perch on a tree and another perch on the side of a cliff, while playing with two sticks it picked up on the way.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4294 M

A Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk at Newport Back Bay in Orange County, California.
Note the detail of the dark patagial markings of the underwing coverts at the leading edge of the wing,
as well as the overall rufous cast to the plumage including the hawk’s undertail coverts, head and body.

Rufous Morph Red-Tail Juvenile 4296

A Dark juvenile Rufous morph Red-Tailed Hawk carrying a stick through the skies over Newport Back Bay.

Images in this section are in a number of different Galleries on the Photoshelter website.
The Banner below leads to the Raptors Collection where a Gallery can be selected.

Direct Links:

Eagles     Red-Tailed Hawks     Assorted Hawks
Owl and Harrier        Falcons & Kites        Osprey

Click the Display Composite above to visit the Red-Tailed Hawk Portraits page

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