Keel-billed Toucan vs Red-tailed Hawk
Ramphastos sulfuratus compared with Buteo jamaicensis
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Keel-billed Toucan | Red-tailed Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ramphastos sulfuratus | Buteo jamaicensis |
| Order | Piciformes | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Ramphastidae | Accipitridae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 50.0 cm (19.7 in) | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) |
| Wingspan | 56.0 cm (22.0 in) | 124.0 cm (48.8 in) |
| Weight | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) | 1080.0 g (38.10 oz) |
| Diet | Primarily fruit, supplemented with insects, lizards, eggs, and nestlings. Uses its long bill to reach … | Small to medium mammals, especially voles, mice, and rabbits. Also takes birds, reptiles, and large … |
| Clutch Size | 1-4 | 2-4 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Keel-billed Toucan only
None
Red-tailed Hawk only
Keel-billed Toucan
Tropical and subtropical lowland rainforests and forest edges from sea level to about 1,900 meters.
Red-tailed Hawk
Open country with scattered elevated perches such as trees, poles, and cliffs. Adaptable to farmland, grasslands, roadsides, and suburban areas.
Song & Call Comparison
Keel-billed Toucan
Produces a repeated frog-like croaking 'prrrek-prrrek' or 'terrio-terrio'. Not melodic; the call resembles a mechanical rattle or frog. Also gives bill-clattering.
Red-tailed Hawk
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.
Geographic Range & Migration
Keel-billed Toucan
Southern Mexico through Central America to northern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.
Red-tailed Hawk
North America from Alaska to Panama, including the Caribbean. One of the most common raptors in North America.
Conservation Status
Keel-billed Toucan
Red-tailed Hawk
How to Tell Them Apart
Keel-billed Toucan
Black body with a bright yellow throat and chest. Red undertail coverts. The enormous bill is green with orange sides, a blue patch, and a red tip.
Enormous, lightweight, multicolored bill up to 15 cm long — green, orange, blue, and red
Red-tailed Hawk
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.
Dark hooked bill with a yellow cere
About These Birds
Keel-billed Toucan
The keel-billed toucan is the national bird of Belize and one of the most recognizable birds in the Neotropics. Its oversized bill, which can be a third of its body length, is actually very light due to its hollow honeycomb structure. Toucans roost communally, with up to six adults squeezing into a single tree cavity.
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.