Red-tailed Hawk

Description:

18-25" (46-64 cm). W. 4' (1.2 m). A large stocky hawk. Typical light-phase birds have whitish breast and rust-colored tail. Young birds duller, more streaked, lacking rust-colored tail of adult; they are distinguished from Red-shouldered and Swainson's hawks by their stocky build, broader, more rounded wings, and white chest. This species quite variable in color, especially in West, where blackish individuals occur; these usually retain rusty tail.

Habitat:

John Bunker Sands Wetland Center. Its mission is to both educate the public and provide research opportunities in the areas of water quality and supply, wildlife management, and wetland systems. The constructed wetlands include seasonal emergent wetlands, scrub swamps and flooded bottomland hardwood forest.