Red-tailed Hawk vs Red-shouldered Hawk: How to Identify Them
Flying high above a field or perched silently on a roadside pole, a hawk is a striking symbol of wildness. But for many birders, especially beginners, telling one hawk from another can feel frustratingly difficult.
In North America, two of the most frequently encountered and easily confused raptors are the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) and the Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus). Both are large, broad-winged buteos, and their ranges overlap across much of the eastern United States.
Yet despite their similarities, these two birds are surprisingly different in size, shape, color pattern, habitat preference, and behavior. This article breaks down every key difference, so you can tell them apart at a glance or by ear.
This guide draws on published range data from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World database and field observations by certified wildlife biologists across the eastern United States and California.
Basic Overview: Red-tailed Hawk vs Red-shouldered Hawk at a Glance
| Feature | Red-tailed Hawk | Red-shouldered Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Buteo jamaicensis | Buteo lineatus |
| Common name origin | Rusty-red tail (adult) | Reddish shoulder patches |
| Average wingspan | 114–133 cm (45–52 in) | 94–107 cm (37–42 in) |
| Average weight | 700–1600 g (1.5–3.5 lb) | 460–930 g (1.0–2.0 lb) |
| Lifespan in wild | up to 20+ years | up to 18–20 years |
| Primary habitat | Open country. Farmland, roadsides | Forested wetlands, river bottoms |
| Range | All of North America | Eastern US + California coast |
Both belong to the Buteo genus – soaring hawks with broad wings and fan-shaped tails. They are diurnal raptors that hunt small animals from prominent perches. However, the Red-tailed Hawk is the larger, heavier, and more widespread species, while the Red-shouldered Hawk is a slighter, more forest-dependent bird.
Size and Shape Comparison: The First Field Clue
The most obvious overall difference is size. The Red-tailed Hawk is noticeably larger and bulkier. When perched, it looks heavy-chested and broad-shouldered. In flight, its wings are wide and somewhat blunt-tipped, and the tail appears relatively short and wide.
The Red-shouldered Hawk, by contrast, is more slender and agile. Its body is less bulky, and its wings are slightly more elongated with a distinct “paddle” shape — broad at the shoulder but tapering to a more pointed tip. In flight, the Red-shouldered Hawk often looks smaller and faster, with a longer, more squared-off tail.
Memory aid: Red-tailed = big and beefy; Red-shouldered = lean and long-tailed.
Physical Appearance and Field Identification Marks
This is where most observers get confused, because immature birds can look similar. Adult birds, however, have reliable field marks.
Red-tailed Hawk filed marks:
- Upperparts: Dark brown back and upperwing coverts.
- Patagial mark: A dark bar along the leading edge of the underwing — visible in flight and nearly 100% reliable for Red-tails in North America.
- Belly band: Pale with a distinct band of dark streaks across the lower belly. Variable in intensity, but usually present.
- Adult tail: Rich cinnamon-red on the upper side; pale pinkish-white below with a dark terminal band.
- Immature tail: Brown with multiple narrow dark bars – no red at all in the first year. Look for the belly band and patagial mark instead.
Red-shouldered Hawk filed marks:
- Upperparts: Checkerboard pattern – dark brown back with white spots on the scapulars and wing coverts. The shoulder area is rich reddish-orange, giving the bird its name.
- Belly & chest: Warm orange-red horizontal barring across the entire breast, belly, and underwing coverts. Strikingly different look from the Red-tail’s belly band.
- Tail: Black with three to four narrow white bands, visible from both above and below. No red in the tail at any age.
- Wings in flight: Translucent pale crescents near the wingtips are visible from below in flight - a highly reliable field mark.
Key visual trick: Red-tailed Hawk has a pale belly with a dark band; Red-shouldered Hawk has fully barred reddish-orange underparts from throat to belly.
Habitat and Geographic Range: Different Neighborhoods
These two hawks often occupy different neighborhoods, even within the same county.
Red-tailed Hawk habitat:
Red-tails live everywhere from deserts and grasslands to farmland, highway medians, and city parks. They prefer open country with scattered tall trees or utility poles for perching. Its range covers all of North America (Alaska to Panama), with resident populations in most of the lower 48 states. According to Cornell Lab’s All About Birds, the Red-tailed Hawk is the most widespread in North America.
Red-shouldered Hawk habitat:
A forest specialist strongly associated with mature deciduous or mixed woodlands, especially near water — rivers, swamps, and bottomland forests. It avoids open prairies and treeless areas. Its primary range covers the eastern United States east of the Great Plains, with a separate and geographically isolated population along the California coast and parts of the Southwest.
Habitat shortcut: Hawk over a vast open field → likely Red-tailed. Hawk deep inside a wooded swamp or along a forested stream → likely Red-shouldered.
Diet and Hunting Behavior: Different Strategies
Both species are opportunistic predators of small vertebrates, but their hunting methods reflect their different habitats.
Red-tailed Hawk hunting style:
A classic sit-and-wait predator. Red-tails spend long periods on high perches, trees, telephone poles, fence posts, scanning open ground below. When prey is spotted, they drop in a powerful, direct dive. Diet staples include voles, ground squirrels, and rabbits (up to the size of a cottontail). They rarely hunt in dense forests.
Red-shouldered Hawk hunting style:
An active, agile hunter adapted to forest interiors. Red-shouldered Hawks often fly low through woodland understory, ambushing prey from behind cover, or listen patiently from a low perch near water.
Their diet skews heavily toward cold-blooded prey: frogs, snakes, large insects, crayfish, and salamanders, supplemented by small mammals. Their longer tail and more maneuverable wing shape allow them to twist through trees effectively.
Calls and Vocalizations: The Most Reliable Difference
Voice is one of the most reliable identification tools, especially because Hollywood famously misuses hawk calls.
Red-tailed Hawk call:
Its call is a harsh, descending, raspy scream: “KEEE-eerrr” (lasting 2–3 seconds). This is the sound you hear in movies for any eagle or hawk, because it sounds so dramatic. Real Red-tails call often when soaring or defending a nest. Listen to a verified recording at the Cornell Lab’s All About Birds audio library.
Red-shouldered Hawk call:
Its call is a loud, clear, repetitive whistle: “Kee-aah, kee-aah, kee-aah” (often given in a series of 5–10 notes). It is higher-pitched and more musical than the Red-tail’s scream. Red-shoulders are also more vocal year-round, especially during breeding season. Listen to All About Birds.
Key Differences Summary: Red-tailed Hawk vs Red-shouldered Hawk
| Feature | Red-tailed Hawk | Red-shouldered Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Larger & heavier | Smaller & slighter |
| Wing shape | Broad, blunt tips | Broader at shoulder, more pointed tip |
| Tail | Short, wide; adult has red upper surface | Longer, squared; black with white bands |
| Belly pattern | Pale with a dark belly band | Rich orange-red barring |
| Underwing | Dark leading edge (patagium) | Pale crescents near wingtips |
| Preferred habitat | Open country, fields, deserts | Forested swamps, river bottoms |
| Call | Raspy descending scream | Clear, whistled “kee-aah” series |
| Hunting | Sit-and-wait from high perch | Active, low-level forest hunting |
FAQs
Can a Red-shouldered Hawk ever have a red tail?
No. Not at any age. The red “shoulder” refers to the upper wing coverts. The tail is always black with white bands.
What about juvenile Red-tails? They don’t have a red tail.
Correct. Immature Red-tails have brown, banded tails. Look for the belly band (dark streaks across a white belly) and the dark patagial marks on the underwings – those are reliable for Red-tail even without red.
Do their ranges overlap everywhere?
Yes, but they partition habitat. Both species may occur in the same county while occupying completely different microhabitats. In the West, Red-shouldered Hawks are largely confined to California, and parts of the Pacific coast; Red-tailed Hawks are found continent-wide.
Which one is more likely to visit a suburban backyard?
Red-tailed Hawks are more common near suburbs with open lawns. Red-shouldered Hawks may visit wooded backyards that adjoin a creek or swamp.
Why do movies always use the wrong hawk call?
The Red-tailed Hawk’s raspy scream is so dramatically powerful that sound editors have used it as the default for raptors, including Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, and Ospreys, for decades. Real Bald Eagles, by comparison, produce a surprisingly thin, squeaky chirp.
From the Field: A Birder's Notes
Conclusion
Telling a Red-tailed Hawk from a Red-shouldered Hawk becomes much easier once you stop looking for “red” and start reading the whole bird.
Focus on size and shape first: a bulky, heavy-chested hawk soaring over an open field is almost certainly a Red-tail. A slimmer hawk disappearing into a wooded swamp is very likely a Red-shoulder. Then check the underparts: a dark band on a pale background says Red-tailed; rich orange barring from throat to belly says Red-shouldered. Listen to the voice — the raspy descending scream of a Red-tail versus the whistled “kee-aah” series of a Red-shoulder.
With practice, you’ll identify them instantly and gain a deeper appreciation for how two closely related hawks evolved strikingly different strategies to thrive side by side across North America.
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