Red-tailed vs. Red-shouldered Hawk: Identifying Common Buteos

When you see a big hawk perched on a roadside pole or soaring over a field, it's usually one of two buteos. Here's how to tell the heavyset Red-tailed from the slimmer, more colorful Red-shouldered Hawk.

Red-tailed Hawk: the default

• Brick-red tail on adults (top side); the most famous mark, though young birds have a brown banded tail.
• A dark 'belly band' of streaks across an otherwise pale chest.
• Dark patagial bars — dark marks on the leading edge of the underwing, visible in flight and diagnostic.
• Bulky, broad-winged, with a short rounded tail. Its scream is the classic 'movie eagle' cry.

Red-shouldered Hawk: colorful and vocal

• Rusty-orange barred underparts — warmer and more uniformly colored than a Red-tailed.
• Bold black-and-white checkered wings and a strongly banded tail.
• Translucent crescents ('windows') near the wingtips, glowing when backlit.
• Slimmer and longer-tailed; gives a loud, repeated “kee-ah, kee-ah” (often mimicked by Blue Jays).

Habitat

Red-tailed Hawks love open country and perch conspicuously on poles and treetops. Red-shouldered Hawks prefer wetter woodlands and suburban areas with mature trees, often heard before they're seen.

Quick confirmation

For perched birds, underpart color (cool streaky band vs. warm rusty barring) usually does it. In flight, look for the Red-tailed's dark patagial bars versus the Red-shouldered's pale wing crescents. A Birder AI photo ID can confirm either way.