Red-tailed Hawk vs Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Buteo jamaicensis compared with Amazona aestiva
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Attribute | Red-tailed Hawk | Turquoise-fronted Amazon |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis | Amazona aestiva |
| Order | Accipitriformes | Psittaciformes |
| Family | Accipitridae | Psittacidae |
| Conservation Status | Least Concern | Near Threatened |
| Length | 53.0 cm (20.9 in) | 36.0 cm (14.2 in) |
| Wingspan | 124.0 cm (48.8 in) | 55.0 cm (21.7 in) |
| Weight | 1080.0 g (38.10 oz) | 400.0 g (14.11 oz) |
| Diet | Small to medium mammals, especially voles, mice, and rabbits. Also takes birds, reptiles, and large … | Seeds, nuts, fruits, berries, and flowers. Feeds in tree canopy in noisy flocks. Occasionally raids … |
| Clutch Size | 2-4 | 1-5 |
| Population Trend | — | — |
Size Comparison
Habitat Comparison
Shared Habitats
Red-tailed Hawk only
Turquoise-fronted Amazon 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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Tropical and subtropical forests, woodland, savanna, and palm groves in South America.
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Loud, raucous squawking and screaming calls. Capable of impressive vocal mimicry including human speech. Contact call is a rolling 'arr-arr'. Highly vocal in social groups.
Geographic Range & Migration
Red-tailed Hawk
North America from Alaska to Panama, including the Caribbean. One of the most common raptors in North America.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Interior of South America including Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and northern Argentina.
Conservation Status
Red-tailed Hawk
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
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
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
Green body with a turquoise-blue forehead, yellow face, and red and blue wing patches. Red at the bend of the wing visible in flight.
Strong, hooked, dark grey upper mandible with a paler lower mandible
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.
Turquoise-fronted Amazon
The turquoise-fronted amazon is one of the most popular pet parrots in the world, prized for its ability to mimic human speech and its engaging personality. In the wild, these sociable parrots roost communally in large flocks and fly in pairs to feeding sites at dawn. Habitat loss and trapping for the pet trade threaten wild populations.