5 Magnificent Types of Hawks and Where to Find Them

Hawks and eagles are among the more than 200 species of the family Accipitridae, a group of swift, strong raptors that kill other animals for food and are active during the day. Hawks are generally divided into large, broad-winged buteos, sometimes known as “soaring hawks,” that live in open country like grasslands, and accipiters, which tend to be smaller and inhabit woodlands. They are typically smaller than eagles but larger than falcons. Like most raptors—and unlike most other birds—female hawks tend to be larger than males. 

1. Red-Tailed Hawk

Named for its distinctive rust-colored tail, the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is the most common hawk in North America. The red-tail prefers open country and seeks out high perches like roadside poles to watch for prey. It likes small rodents but also eats squirrels, rabbits, bats, snakes, insects, frogs, and other birds. When mating, both hawks will circle as the male performs spectacular dives, sometimes passing prey to the female in mid-flight. During the spring breeding season, pairs build their nests in tall trees and cliff ledges — and increasingly, on tall buildings in urban areas.

2. Sharp-Shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned hawks (Accipiter striatus) are the smallest bird-eating accipiters in North America, with a range extending through Central and South America to northern Argentina. Although these swift, agile woodland hunters will consume rodents and insects, their diet is mainly small birds, which they pluck before eating. Sharp-shinned hawks frequent agricultural, suburban, and urban areas, seeking prey at bird feeders and other places where birds congregate. Adults have gray-blue wings, backs, and heads, with rust-and-white speckled underparts.

3. Cooper’s Hawk

The striking Cooper's hawk (Accipiter cooperii ) has amber-colored eyes, grey wings, a black tail, and a brown and white speckled breast. It eats birds and small mammals like chipmunks, mice, and squirrels. The stealthy hunter moves silently from tree to tree before swooping down to surprise prey from behind. Researchers have discovered that some hummingbird species cluster their nests near those of Cooper’s hawks in order to protect their eggs from hungry jays, who avoid predators.Both Cooper’s hawk and its close relative the sharp-shinned hawk are increasing in urban areas.

4. Rough-Legged Hawk

The large rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus) breeds in the Arctic tundra of North America, Asia, and Europe, where it spends summers hunting voles and lemmings before migrating south. Some are dark brown with distinctive white marks, while others display paler patterns. The common name comes from its fully-feathered legs, which, along with a body layer of dense down, help it to withstand the cold. When hunting, the rough-legged hawk often faces into the wind and hovers as it scans for prey, or watches from a pole or high tree branch. Lacking trees on the tundra, it sometimes uses caribou bones as nest material.

5. Red-Shouldered Hawk

The rusty wings of the red-shouldered hawk (Buteo lineatus ) give way to bold brown and white wing stripes, while the breast displays fine bars of lighter brown and white. It might be difficult to spot in its woodland home, but the red-shouldered hawk’s loud whistle is easy to pick out (though it could be a mimicking blue jay). A group of American crows will sometimes mob these predatory birds—surrounding and harassing them as a defensive act—but the two species may also team up to chase away owls that threaten red-shouldered hawk offspring.