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Global Animal Guide

US birds of prey: identification guide

The raptors you are most likely to see from highways, lakeshores, and suburban skies.

A large soaring hawk on a roadside pole with a red upper tail is usually a red-tailed hawk. A huge dark bird with a white head and tail is an adult bald eagle. Small colourful falcons that hover are American kestrels; white-bellied fish-hunters over water are ospreys.

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Common species at a glance

SpeciesKey marksHabitatNotes
Red-tailed Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Broad wings; adults with brick-red upper tail; dark belly band often present Roadsides, farmland, open woods Most commonly seen US buteo
Bald Eagle Bald Eagle Huge; adults white head and tail, dark body; immature mottled brown Lakes, rivers, coasts Soars with flat wings; fishes and scavenges
American Kestrel Small colourful falcon; hovers over fields; two black face stripes Open country, roadside wires Often pumps its tail when perched
Cooper’s Hawk Medium accipiter; long tail, rounded wings; dashes through trees Woods and suburbs Hunts birds at feeders
Osprey Osprey White underparts, dark eye stripe, M-shaped kinked wings in flight Lakes, rivers, coasts Hovers then plunges for fish
Turkey Vulture Large dark bird; V-shaped dihedral soar; red head (adult) Open country, thermals Teeters in flight; scavenger only

How to identify common US birds of prey

  1. 1

    Judge size against a crow. Red-tailed hawks and bald eagles are larger than crows; kestrels and sharp-shinned hawks are smaller.

  2. 2

    Watch the flight. Buteos soar in wide circles; falcons fly with stiff, rapid wingbeats; harriers tilt low over fields.

  3. 3

    Check the tail. Adult red-tailed hawks show a brick-red upper tail; bald eagles have a white tail and head when adult.

  4. 4

    Note habitat. Ospreys hunt over water; red-tails favour roadsides and open country; Cooper’s hawks dash through suburbs after birds.

  5. 5

    Listen for calls. The classic “kee-eee-arr” often used in films is a red-tailed hawk; bald eagles sound thinner and weaker than their size suggests.

Also see the UK birds of prey guide for British raptors.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common hawk along US highways?

The red-tailed hawk. Look for a large soaring hawk on poles and over fields; adults show a distinctive reddish upper tail in good light.

How do I tell a bald eagle from a turkey vulture?

Adult bald eagles have a white head and tail and soar on flat wings. Turkey vultures soar in a V (dihedral), teeter side to side, and have a small red head with no white.

Is a hawk at my bird feeder dangerous to people?

No. Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks hunt small birds, not people. Keep pets supervised outdoors if hawks are active, and enjoy the natural predator–prey balance.

Do ospreys only eat fish?

Almost exclusively. Their reversible outer toe and spiny footpads are specialised for gripping slippery fish.

Sources & references

Identification marks and calls are compiled from established field guides and ornithological references for the United States.