Red-tailed Hawk vs Rock Pigeon
Buteo jamaicensis compared with Columba livia
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-tailed Hawk | Rock Pigeon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis | Columba livia |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Columbiformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Columbidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Length | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 33.0 cm (13.0 in) |
| Wingspan | 124.0 cm (48.8 in) | 68.0 cm (26.8 in) |
| Weight | 1080.0 g (38.10 oz) | 300.0 g (10.58 oz) |
| Diet | Small to medium mammals, especially voles, mice, and rabbits. Also takes birds, reptiles, and large … | Seeds, grain, fruit, and human food scraps. Primarily a ground feeder. Feral birds are heavily … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 2 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Red-tailed Hawk only
Rock Pigeon only
None
Red-tailed Hawk
Open country with scattered elevated perches such as trees, poles, and cliffs. Adaptable to farmland, grasslands, roadsides, and suburban areas.
Rock Pigeon
Originally cliff-nesting in Mediterranean regions. Now the quintessential urban bird, inhabiting cities worldwide on every continent.
Song & Call Comparison
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.
Rock Pigeon
Soft, rhythmic cooing 'roo-c'too-coo' repeated multiple times, with emphasis on second syllable. Male courtship coo is deeper and more persistent. Wing-clapping on takeoff is loud.
Geographic Range & Migration
Red-tailed Hawk
North America from Alaska to Panama, including the Caribbean. One of the most common raptors in North America.
Rock Pigeon
Native to Europe, North Africa, and South Asia. Feral populations on every continent except Antarctica.
Conservation Status
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
How to Tell Them Apart
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
Rock Pigeon
Wild-type has a blue-grey body with iridescent green and purple neck feathers, two black wing bars, and a white rump. Feral populations show enormous color variation.
Slender dark bill with a white fleshy cere at the base
About These Birds
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.
Rock Pigeon
The rock pigeon is the ancestor of all domestic pigeon breeds and one of the most abundant birds in cities worldwide. Pigeons have served humans as messengers, food, and subjects for scientific research — their homing ability and vision have been studied extensively. Darwin's study of pigeon breeding contributed to his theory of evolution.