Red-tailed Hawk
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Kinkyturnip
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/* Reproduction */ spelling
{{Taxobox
| name = Red-tailed Hawk
| status = LC
| status_system=iucn3.1
| status_ref=<ref name="IUCN"> {{cite web|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/49438/all|assessors=BirdLife International|title=''Buteo jamaicensis''|accessmonthday=[[20 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
| image = Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis Full Body 1880px.jpg
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[bird|Aves]]
| ordo = [[Falconiformes]]
| familia = [[Accipitridae]]
| genus = ''[[Buteo]]''
| species = '''''B. jamaicensis'''''
| binomial = ''Buteo jamaicensis''
| binomial_authority = ([[Johann Friedrich Gmelin|Gmelin]], [[1788]])
| synonyms =
''Buteo borealis''<br/>
''Buteo broealis'' <small>(''[[lapsus]]'')</small>
}}
The '''Red-tailed Hawk''' (''Buteo jamaicensis'') is a medium-sized [[bird of prey]], one of three species colloquially known in the [[United States]] as the "[[Chickenhawk (bird)|chickenhawk]]." It breeds almost throughout [[North America]] from western [[Alaska]] and northern [[Canada]] to as far south as [[Panama]] and the [[West Indies]], and is one of the most common buteos in North America. There are fourteen recognized subspecies, which vary in appearance and range. It is one of the largest members of the genus ''[[Buteo]]'' in [[North America]], weighing from 690 to 1600 grams (1.5 to 3.5 pounds) and measuring 45–65 cm (18 to 26 in) in length, with a wingspan from 110 to 145 cm (43 to 57 in). The Red-tailed Hawk displays [[sexual dimorphism]] in size, as females are about 25% heavier than males.
The Red-tailed Hawk occupies a wide range of habitats and altitudes, including deserts, grasslands, [[coniferous]] and [[deciduous]] forests, [[tropical rainforest]]s, agricultural fields and [[urban area]]s. It lives throughout the North American continent, except in areas of unbroken forest or the [[arctic|high arctic]]. It is legally protected in [[Canada]], [[Mexico]] and the [[United States]] by the [[Migratory Bird Treaty Act]].
Because they are so common and easily trained as capable hunters, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails. Falconers are permitted to take only hawks in their first year. Adults, which may be bred, are not permitted to be taken for falconry. Falconers prefer to train first year hawks, which have not been locked into uncooperative adult behaviors.
The Red-tailed Hawk also has significance in [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] culture. Its feathers are considered sacred by some tribes, and are used in religious ceremonies.
== Description ==
[[Image:Northern-Red-Tailed-Hawk.jpg|Head|left|thumb|Close-up, North Carolina]]
A male Red-tailed Hawk may weigh from 690 to 1300 grams (1.5 to 2.9 pounds) and measure 45–56 cm (18 to 22 in), while a female can weigh between 900 and 2000 grams (2 and 4.4 pounds) and measure 50–65 cm (20 to 26 in) in length. As is the case with many raptors the Red-tailed Hawk displays [[sexual dimorphism]] in size, as females are 25% larger than males. The wingspan is from 110 to 145 cm (43 to 57 in).<ref name="ADW"/>
Red-tailed Hawk [[plumage]] can be variable, depending on the [[subspecies]] and the region. These color variations are [[Polymorphism (biology)|morphs]], and are not related to [[molt]]ing.
The western North American population, ''B. j. calurus'', is the most variable subspecies and has three color morphs: light, dark, and intermediate or rufous. The dark and intermediate morphs constitute 10–20% of the population.<ref name="Land"/>
Though the markings and hue vary, the basic appearance of the Red-tailed Hawk is consistent. The underbelly is lighter than the back and a dark brown band across the belly, formed by vertical streaks in [[feather]] patterning, is present in most color variations. The red tail, which gives this species its name, is uniformly brick-red above and pink below.<ref name="USGS"/> The [[beak|bill]] is short and dark, in the hooked shape characteristic of [[Bird of prey|raptors]].<ref name="USGS">{{cite web|url=http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3370id.html|title=''Buteo jamaicensis'' |publisher=U.S. Geological Survey|accessmonthday=[[5 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref> The [[cere]], the legs, and the feet of the Red-tailed Hawk are all yellow.<ref name="ADW"> {{cite web|url=http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Buteo_jamaicensis.html|author=Dewey, T. and D. Arnold|title=''Buteo jamaicensis''|accessmonthday=[[5 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
Immature birds can be readily identified at close range by their yellowish [[Iris (anatomy)|iris]]es. As the bird attains full maturity over the course of 3–4 years, the iris slowly darkens into a reddish-brown hue. In both the light and dark morphs, the tail of the immature Red-tailed Hawk are patterned with numerous darker bars.<ref name="USGS"/>
==Taxonomy==
[[Image:Red-tailed hawk in flight.jpg|thumb|right|Red-tailed hawk in flight showing the red tail]]
The Red-Tailed Hawk is a member of the [[genus]] ''[[Buteo]]'', a group of medium-sized raptors with robust bodies and broad wings. Members of this genus are known as ''buzzards'' in Europe, but ''hawks'' in North America.<ref name="ITIS">
{{cite web|url=
http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=175350|title=Buteo jamaicensis|publisher=ITIS|accessdate=June 10|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
There are at least 14 recognized subspecies of ''Buteo jamaicensis'', which vary in range and in coloration:
*'''''B. j. jamaicensis''''', the nominate subspecies, occurs in the northern [[West Indies]], including [[Jamaica]], [[Hispaniola]], [[Puerto Rico]] and the [[Lesser Antilles]] but not the [[Bahamas]] or [[Cuba]]. [[El Yunque National Forest]], [[Puerto Rico]] holds the highest known density of Red-tailed Hawks anywhere. [http://www.kingsnake.com/westindian/metazoa16.html]
*'''''B. j. alascensis''''' breeds (probably resident) from southeastern coastal [[Alaska]] to the [[Queen Charlotte Islands]] and [[Vancouver Island]] in [[British Columbia]].<ref name="Gov"/>
*'''''B. j. borealis''''' breeds from southeast Canada and [[Maine]] south through eastern [[Texas]] west to northern Florida. It winters from southern Ontario east to southern Maine and south to the Gulf coast and Florida.<ref name="Gov"/>
*'''''B. j. calurus''''' breeds from central interior [[Alaska]], through western Canada south to Baja California. It winters from southwestern [[British Columbia]] southwest to [[Guatemala]] and northern [[Nicaragua]].<ref name="Gov"/> Paler individuals of northern Mexico may lack the dark wing marking.<ref name=H&W>{{cite book | author=Howell, Steve N. G.;Sophie Webb | title=A Guide to the Birds of Mexico and Northern Central America | publisher=Oxford University Press | year=1995 | id=ISBN 0-19-854012-4}}</ref>
*'''''B. j. costaricensis''''' is resident from [[Nicaragua]] to [[Panama]]. This subspecies is dark brown above with cinnamon flanks, wing linings and sides, and some birds have rufous underparts. The chest is much less heavily streaked than in northern migrants (''B. j. calurus'') to [[Central America]].
*'''''B. j. fuertesi''''' breeds from northern [[Chihuahua]] to southern Texas. It winters in [[Arizona]], [[New Mexico]], and southern [[Louisiana]].<ref name="Gov"/> The belly is unstreaked or only lightly streaked, and the tail is pale.
*'''''B. j. fumosus''''' [[Islas Marías]], [[Mexico]]
*'''''B. j. hadropus''''' Mexican Highlands
*'''''B. j. harlani''''' usually has blackish plumage contrasting with white undersides of the flight feathers; the tail may be reddish or gray and is longitudinally streaked rather than barred. The dark wing marking is not distinct. It breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada and winters from [[Nebraska]] and [[Kansas]] to [[Texas]] and northern [[Louisiana]].<ref name="Gov"/>
*'''''B. j. kemsiesi''''' is a dark subspecies resident from [[Chiapas]] to [[Nicaragua]]. The dark wing marking may not be distinct in paler birds.<ref name=H&W/>
*'''''B. j. kriderii''''' is paler than other Red-tails, especially on the head; the tail may be pinkish or white. In the breeding season, it occurs from southern Alberta, southern Saskatchewan, southern Manitoba, and extreme western Ontario south to south-central Montana, Wyoming, western Nebraska, and western Minnesota. In winter, it occurs from South Dakota and southern Minnesota south to Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Louisiana.<ref name="Gov"/>
*'''''B. j. socorroensis''''' [[Socorro Island]], Mexico
*'''''B. j. solitudinus''''' Bahamas and Cuba
*'''''B. j. umbrinus''''' occurs year-round in peninsular [[Florida]] north to [[Tampa Bay]] and the Kissimmee Prairie.<ref name="Gov"/> It is similar in appearance to ''calurus''
The four island forms, ''jamaicensis'', ''solitudinus'', ''socorroensis'', and ''fumosus'', do not overlap in range with any other subspecies.
==Distribution and habitat==
[[Image:Buteo jamaicensis 002.jpg|right|thumb|Bird in San Francisco]]
The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most widely distributed hawks in the [[Americas]]. It breeds from central [[Alaska]], the [[Yukon]], and the [[Northwest Territories]] east to southern [[Quebec]] and the [[Maritime Provinces]] of [[Canada]], and south to [[Florida]], the [[West Indies]], and [[Central America]]. The winter range stretches from southern Canada south throughout the remainder of the breeding range.<ref name="Gov">
{{cite web|url=http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/animals/bird/buja/all.html#DISTRIBUTION%20AND%20OCCURRENCE|title=Buteo jamaicensis|publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture|author=Tesky, Julie L.|accessdate=June 10|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
Its preferred habitat is mixed forest and field, with high bluffs or trees that may be used as perch sites. It occupies a wide range of [[Habitat (ecology)|habitats]] and [[altitude]]s, including deserts, grasslands, [[coniferous]] and [[deciduous]] woodlands, [[tropical rainforest]]s, [[Field (agriculture)|agricultural fields]] and [[urban area]]s.<ref name="IUCN"> {{cite web|url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/49438/all|assessors=BirdLife International|title=''Buteo jamaicensis''|accessmonthday=[[20 June]]|accessyear=2007|language=English}}</ref> It is second only to the [[Peregrine Falcon]] in the use of diverse habitats in North America.<ref name="SF">{{cite web
| last =Garrigues
| first =Jeff
| title =Biogeography of Red-tailed hawk
| publisher =San Francisco State University Department of Geography
| accessmonthday=[[28 June]]
| accessyear=2007
| url =http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/Fall00Projects/redtailedhawk.html }}</ref> It lives throughout the North American continent, except in areas of unbroken forest or the high Arctic.<ref name="Land">
{{cite web|url=http://www.birdsofprey.blm.gov/nat-res/redtail.htm|title=Red-tailed Hawk|publisher=Bureau of Land Management|accessdate=June 6|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
The Red-tailed Hawk is widespread in North America,<ref name="SF"/> partially due to historic settlement patterns, which have benefited it. The clearing of forests in the Northeast created hunting areas, while the preservation of [[woodlot]]s left nest sites. The planting of trees in the west allowed the Red-tailed Hawk to expand its range by creating nest sites where there had been none. The construction of highways with [[utility pole]]s alongside treeless medians provided perfect habitat for perch-hunting. The Red-tailed Hawk can also be found in cities.<ref name="Avian"> {{cite web|url=http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:1ysulx9fN08J:www.sky-hunters.org/RTHA.pdf+clearing+of+trees+%2B+red-tailed+hawk&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=6&gl=us&client=firefox-a|title=Red-tailed Hawk|publisher=Sky-hunters.org|accessmonthday=[[16 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref> The non-fiction book ''Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park'' by [[Marie Winn]] made [[Pale Male]], a Red-tailed Hawk in [[New York City|New York]], the most famous urban Red-tailed Hawk.<ref name="CBS"> {{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/07/10/sunday/main562715.shtml|publisher=CBS|author=Geist, Bill|title=In Love With A Hawk|accessmonthday=[[17 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
== Behavior ==
[[Image:Red-tailed hawk02.jpg|left|thumb|Red-tailed Hawk screaming]]
In flight, this hawk soars with wings in a slight [[dihedral]], flapping as little as possible to conserve energy. Active flight is slow and deliberate, with deep wing beats. In wind, it occasionally hovers on beating wings and remains stationary above the ground.<ref name="Land"/> When soaring or flapping its wings, it typically travels from 20 to 40 mph, but when diving may exceed 120 mph.<ref name="NY"> {{cite web|url=http://www.nysite.com/nature/fauna/redhawk.htm|author=Day, Leslie|publisher=79th Street Boat Basin Flora and Fauna Society|title=The City Naturalist - Red Tailed Hawk|accessmonthday=[[17 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref> When the Red-tailed Hawk walks, its steps are slow and awkward.
The Red-tailed Hawk is generally non-aggressive toward people and toward other birds. It is commonly harassed by crows, [[magpie]]s, owls, other hawks, and even songbirds over territorial disputes, though it is generally not injured. When threatened by a human intruder, a Red-tailed Hawk will generally flee rather than defend its nest.
The cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is a two to three second hoarse, rasping scream, described as ''kree-eee-ar'',<ref name="Avian"/> which begins at a high pitch and slurs downward<ref name="NY"/> This cry is often described as sounding similar to a steam whistle.<ref name="ADW"/> It frequently vocalizes while hunting or soaring, but vocalizes loudest in annoyance or anger, in response to a predator or a rival hawk's intrusion into its territory.<ref name="Avian"/> At close range, it makes a croaking "guh-runk".<ref name="Oregon"> {{cite web|url=http://www.oregonzoo.org/Cards/BirdsOfPrey/redtailedhawk.htm|publisher=Oregon Zoo|title=Red-Tailed Hawk|accessmonthday=[[16 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref> Young hawks may utter a wailing ''klee-uk'' food cry when parents leave the nest. <ref name="Hawk Trust"> {{cite web|url=http://www.hawk-conservancy.org/priors/redtail.shtml|publisher=The Hawk Conservancy Trust|title=Red-tailed Hawk - Buteo jamaicensis|accessmonthday=[[5 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
Because of its robust crispness, a certain recording of the cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is a cliché cinematic [[sound effect]]. This high, piercing scream is often featured in the background of adventure movies to give a sense of wilderness to the scene. However, the cry is sometimes inaccurately used for the [[Bald Eagle]], whose own vocalizations are quite different and less robust.
=== Diet ===
[[Image:Hawk eating prey.jpg|thumb|right|Juvenile eating a vole]]
The Red-tailed Hawk is [[carnivorous]], and an opportunistic feeder. Its diet is mainly small [[mammal]]s, but it also includes [[bird]]s and [[reptile]]s. Prey varies with regional and seasonal availability, but usually centers on small rodents. Additional prey include rabbits, snakes, [[waterfowl]], [[bat]]s, [[shrew]]s, [[crustacean]]s, [[insect]]s, [[rodent]]s, and fish.
The Red-tailed Hawk hunts primarily from an elevated perch site, swooping down from a perch to seize prey, catching birds while flying, or pursuing prey on the ground from a low flight.
Prey range in size from [[beetle]]s to [[White-tailed Jackrabbit]]s, which are double the weight of most Red-tails. In captivity in winter, an average Red-tail will eat about 135 g (4-5 oz) daily.<ref name="Hawk Trust"/> The [[Great Horned Owl]] occupies a similar [[ecological niche]] nocturnally, taking similar prey. Competition may occur between the Red-tailed Hawk and the [[Great Horned Owl]] during twilight.
=== Reproduction ===
[[Image:RT hawks.jpg|left|thumb|Parent in nest with chicks]]
The Red-tailed Hawk reaches [[sexual maturity]] at two years of age. It is [[monogamous]], mating with the same individual for many years. In general, the Red-tailed Hawk will only take a new mate when its original mate dies.<ref name="Terres">{{cite book
| last =Terres
| first =John K.
| authorlink =John Kenneth Terres
| title =The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds
| publisher =Knopf
| date =1980
| location =New York, NY
| pages =1109
| doi =
| id =ISBN 0394466519 }}</ref> The same nesting territory may be defended by the pair for years. During courtship, the male and female fly in wide circles while uttering shrill cries. The male performs aerial displays, diving steeply, then climbing again. After repeating this display several times, he sometimes grasps her [[talon]]s briefly with his own. Courtship flights can last 10 minutes or more. Copulation often follows courtship flight sequences, although copulation frequently occurs in the absence of courtship flights.
In copulation, the female, when perched, tilts forward, allowing the male to land with his feet lodged on her horizontal back. The female twists and moves her tail feathers to one side, while the mounted male twists his cloacal opening around the to the female's cloaca. Copulation lasts 5 to 10 seconds and during pre-nesting courtship in late winter or early spring can occur numerous times each day.<ref name="Oiseaux">{{cite web|url=http://www.oiseaux.net/oiseaux/accipitriformes/red-tailed.hawk.html|title=''Buteo jamaicensis'' |publisher=Oiseaux.net |accessmonthday=[[7 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
In the same period, the pair constructs a stick [[bird nest|nest]] in a large tree 4 to 21 m off the ground or on a cliff ledge 35 m (115 ft) or higher above the ground, or may nest on man-made structures. The nest is generally 71 to 97 cm (28 to 38 inches) in diameter and can be up to 90 cm (3 feet) tall. The nest is constructed of twigs, and lined with [[bark]], pine needles, [[corn cob]]s, husks, stalks, [[aspen]] catkins, or other plant lining matter.
Great Horned Owls compete with the Red-tailed Hawk for nest sites. Each species has been known to kill the young and destroy the eggs of the other, but in general, both species nest in adjacent or confluent territories without conflict. Great Horned Owls are incapable of constructing nests and typically expropriate existing Red-tail nests. Great Horned Owls begin nesting behaviors much earlier than Red-tails, often as early as December. Red-tails are therefore adapted to constructing new nests when a previous year's nest has been overtaken by owls or otherwise lost. New nests are typically within a kilometer or less of the previous nest. Often, a new nest is only a few hundred meters or less from a previous one.
A clutch of 1 to 3 [[Egg (biology)|eggs]] is laid in March or April, depending upon latitude. Clutch size depends almost exclusively on the availability of prey for the adults. Eggs are laid approximately every other day. The eggs are usually about 60 x 47 mm (2.4 x 1.9 in). They are [[incubate]]d primarily by female, with the male substituting when the female leaves to hunt or merely stretch her wings. The male brings most food to the female while she incubates. After 28 to 35 days, the eggs hatch over 2 to 4 days; the nestlings are [[altricial]] at hatching. The female broods them while the male provides most of the food to the female and the young, which are known as eyasses (pronounced "EYE-ess-ess"). The female feeds the eyasses after tearing the food into small pieces. After 42 to 46 days, the eyasses begin to leave the nest on short flights. The [[fledge|fledging]] period lasts up to 10 weeks, during which the young learn to fly and hunt.<ref name="ADW"/>
==Relationship with humans==
The Red-tailed Hawk has a complex history with humans. The name "chickenhawk" was applied to the Red-tailed Hawk in earlier times, when free-ranging chickens and other domestic fowl were occasionally taken by these birds. First-year Red-tails, usually in late summer or early fall, were the most guilty of such predation. After mid-summer, adults seldom provide food for newly-hunting young Red-tails, and easily-captured, flightless chickens at a farmstead were frequent targets. Today, Red-tails and other hawks are universally protected by state, provincial, and federal bird protection laws.
=== Use in falconry ===
The Red-tailed Hawk is a popular bird in [[falconry]], particularly in [[United States|America]] where the sport of falconry is tightly regulated at the federal and state levels. There are fewer than 4,000 falconers in the United States, therefore any effect on the Red-tailed Hawk population, estimated to be approximately one million in the United States, is statistically insignificant.<ref name="Federal Register"> {{cite web|url=http://www.fws.gov/policy/library/05-2378.html|publisher=Department of the Interior: Fish and Wildlife Service|title=Migratory Bird Permits; Changes in the Regulations Governing Falconry;
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for Falconry
and Raptor Propagation Activities; Proposed Rule and Notice|accessmonthday=[[14 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
The Red-tailed Hawk is adaptable and useful in modern falconry. It is a powerful and sturdy falconry bird best flown at larger ground quarry such as [[squirrels]], [[rabbits]], and [[jackrabbits]]. Occasionally, the Red-tailed Hawk may even take a [[pigeon]], [[crow]], or [[duck]],
[[Image:red-tailed hawk arp.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Red-tailed Hawk on show at a [[falconry]] display in [[England]]]]
In the course of a hunt, a falconer using a Red-tailed Hawk most commonly releases the hawk and allows it to perch in a tree or other high vantage point. The falconer, who may be aided by a dog, then attempts to [[Hunting#A variety of hunting methods|flush]] prey by stirring up ground cover. A well-trained Red-tailed Hawk will follow the falconer and dog, realizing that their activities produce opportunities to catch game. Once a raptor catches game, it does not bring it back to the falconer. Instead, the falconer must locate the bird, "make in," and trade the bird its kill in exchange for a piece of ready-to-eat meat, which is generally from a previous kill.<ref name="McGranaghan">{{cite book| last =McGranaghan| first =Liam J.| title =The Red-Tailed Hawk: A Complete Guide to Training and Hunting North America's Most Versatile Game Hawk.| publisher =Western Sporting Publications| date =2001| pages =181| id =ISBN 0-9709571-0-6}}</ref>
=== Feathers and Native American use ===
The [[feather]]s and other parts of the Red-tailed Hawk are considered [[sacred]] to many American [[indigenous peoples|indigenous people]] and, like the feathers of the [[Bald Eagle]] and [[Golden Eagle]], are sometimes used in religious ceremonies and found adorning the regalia of many [[Native Americans in the United States]]; these parts, most especially their distinctive tail feathers, are a popular item in the Native American community.<ref name="Pequot"> {{cite web|url=http://www.pequotmuseum.org/Home/CrossPaths/CrossPathsSpring2003/TheSacredMessengers.htm|author=Collier, Julie|title=The Sacred Messengers|publisher=Mashantucket Pequot Museum|accessmonthday=[[20 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
As with the other two species, the feathers and parts of the Red-tailed Hawk are regulated by the [[eagle feather law]],<ref name="Title 50"> {{cite web|url=http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title50/50cfr22_main_02.tpl
|title=TITLE 50--Wildlife and Fisheries|publisher=Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (e-CFR)|accessmonthday=[[20 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref> which governs the possession of feathers and parts of migratory birds.<ref name="Feathers"> {{cite web|url=http://www.pequotmuseum.org/Home/CrossPaths/CrossPathsSpring2003/FeatherLaw.htm|author=Cook, Stephen|title=Feather Law|publisher=Mashantucket Pequot Museum|accessmonthday=[[20 June]]|accessyear=2007}}</ref>
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:Red-tailed Hawk.jpg|
Image:Redtailedhawkap.jpg|Juvenile eastern race
Image:Hawk_arguing_over_kill.jpg|Immature (facing camera) and adult western race (''calurus'') squabbling over a kill
Image:A_hawk_with_kill.jpg|Immature with a kill
Image:N216600067_30401220_8411.jpg|Mature closeup with kill,
Image:N216600067_30401219_7476.jpg|Hawk with squirrel
Image:Red-tailed hawk in SF CA.jpg|
Image:Red Tail Hawk.JPG|Immature Red-tail on typical roadside hunting perch.
Image:Red-tailed hawk preening.jpg|Preening
Image:Red tail.jpg|Red Tailed Hawk spreading its wings in [[Manitoba, Canada]]
Image:TxRedTail.jpg|Red Tail Hawk in Tx.
</gallery>
== References ==<!-- Condor58:107. WilsonBull18:47. -->
{{reflist|2}}
== External links ==
{{commons|Buteo jamaicensis}}
*[http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/hawks/default.aspx Webcam of Red-tailed Hawk nest on Channel 2-KJRH tower in Tulsa, OK]
*[http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-tailed_Hawk.html Cornell University Ornithology Lab page about the Red-tailed Hawk, including samples of their cry]
*[http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/Infocenter/i3370id.html USGS web page about the Red-tailed Hawk]
*[http://www.library.fordham.edu/whatsnew/hawks.html Red-Tailed Hawks Pictures]
*[http://www.sdakotabirds.com/species/red_tailed_hawk_info.htm South Dakota Birds - Red-tailed Hawk Information and Photos]
* [http://www.geocities.com/eaglefeatherlaw Religious Freedom with Raptors]
* [http://n-a-f-a.org North American Falconers Association]
*[http://www.birdwatching-bliss.com/hawk-photos.html Comparison of Adult & Immature tails]
*[http://www.dyesscreek.com/miscellaneous_pages/kriders.html Discussion of Krider's and Harlan's forms and identification issues]
*[http://home.comcast.net/~dshymas/ridgefield/hawks.htm Red-tailed Hawks of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge]
*[http://www.flickr.com/groups/birdguide/pool/tags/Buteo%20jamaicensis Photo Field Guide on Flickr]
[[Category:Buteo]]
[[Category:Falconry]]
[[Category:Birds of prey|Hawk, Red-tailed]]
[[Category:Birds of North America|Hawk, Red-tailed]]
[[Category:Birds of Central America|Hawk, Red-tailed]]
[[Category:Birds of the Caribbean|Hawk, Red-tailed]]
[[Category:Sound effects]]
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[[it:Buteo jamaicensis]]
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