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Side-by-Side Comparison

Attribute	White-tailed Hawk	Red-tailed Hawk
Scientific Name	Geranoaetus albicaudatus	Buteo jamaicensis
Order	Accipitriformes	Accipitriformes
Family	Accipitridae	Accipitridae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern
Length	—	53.0 cm (20.9 in)
Wingspan	85.4 cm (33.6 in)	124.0 cm (48.8 in)
Weight	975.3333333333334 g (34.40 oz)	1080.0 g (38.10 oz)
Diet	--	Small to medium mammals, especially voles, mice, and rabbits. Also takes birds, reptiles, and large …
Clutch Size	1-4	2-4
Population Trend	—	—

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Size Comparison

Body Length

White-tailed Hawk —

Red-tailed Hawk 53.0 cm

Wingspan

White-tailed Hawk 85.4 cm

Red-tailed Hawk 124.0 cm

Weight

White-tailed Hawk 975.3333333333334 g

Red-tailed Hawk 1080.0 g

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Habitat Comparison

Shared Habitats

🌾 Grassland

White-tailed Hawk only

None

Red-tailed Hawk only

🏖️ Coastal 🏜️ Desert 🌲 Forest 🌿 Wetland

Red-tailed Hawk

Open country with scattered elevated perches such as trees, poles, and cliffs. Adaptable to farmland, grasslands, roadsides, and suburban areas.

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Song & Call Comparison

White-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Song

Iconic, raspy descending scream: 'kreeeeee-ar', often used in films for all raptors. Gives short barking 'kak' notes near nest. Juveniles beg with persistent squealing whistles.

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Geographic Range & Migration

White-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

North America from Alaska to Panama, including the Caribbean. One of the most common raptors in North America.

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Conservation Status

Least Concern

White-tailed Hawk

Least Concern

Red-tailed Hawk

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How to Tell Them Apart

White-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

Plumage

Variable plumage from pale to dark morphs. Most adults have rich brown upperparts, a pale breast with a dark belly band, and the characteristic rufous-red tail.

Bill

Dark hooked bill with a yellow cere

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About These Birds

White-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk

The red-tailed hawk is the most widespread and common hawk in North America. Its screaming cry is so iconic that it is often dubbed over bald eagle footage in films and television. These adaptable raptors thrive in human-altered landscapes and are a familiar sight perched along highways.

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Related Comparisons

Red-tailed Hawk vs Harpy Eagle

same-family

Red-tailed Hawk vs Mallard

look-alike

Red-tailed Hawk vs White-tailed Eagle

same-family

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