Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawks breed across Canada and the United States, south through Mexico and Central America. Northern populations are migratory. These hawks are extremely variable across their huge range—at least a dozen races are currently recognized. But the situation is confused by individual variation—Red-tailed Hawks come in dark, light, and intermediate morphs. Generally in the US and Canada, western birds are much darker than eastern ones. Eastern birders sometimes don’t even recognize western hawks. This Red-tailed Hawk, found by Erika and me on 23 November 2021 at the Billy Frank Jr National Wildlife Refuge, is an example of a dark, western race. It is an intermediate-colored morph.