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Description: Red-tailed hawks have broad rounded wings,
heavy bodies (relative to other buteo hawks) and broad fanned
tails that are brick red color on top, paler beneath with a black
terminal band. Typically, a band of darker belly feathers aid
in identification, but individuals vary considerably. Outermost
primaries are dark-tipped. Plumage is extremely variable, from
albinos to dark melanistic individuals. Juveniles have brown-gray
tails with fine brown bars.
Similar species: Worldwide there are about 25 species
of Buteo with about 7 species and many geographic subspecies represented
in the United States. The Red-tailed hawk has perhaps the widest
distribution of any North American buteo. There are 5 main subspecies
or color morphs of Buteo jamaicensis in the US along with
many other color variations. Subspecies aside, the Red-tailed
hawk may be confused with the Ferruginous hawk (larger and paler
with white tail), Swainson's Hawk (dark bib and lacking dark leading
edge of wing, banded tail), and Rough legged hawk (dark wide belly
band, prominent dark patch at tarsal joint).
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