Red-Tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis

The Red-Tailed Hawk is probably the most common hawk in North America. Most of us have heard its ‘cry from the sky’, even if we live on the other side of the world where this bird never visits. Its piercing scream is a stock sound in Hollywood productions, used to pass for other raptors (even for vultures).
Today, science recognises 14 subspecies of Red-Tailed Hawk:
- B. j. harlani breeds in central Alaska through Yukon and south to British Columbia. They spend winters in the Great Plains and Midwest, south to the Gulf Coast.
- B. j. alascensis breeds in southeastern Alaska and is resident from there south to British Columbia.
- B. j. calurus breeds west of the Rocky Mountains from Alaska, and south to Arizona and New Mexico. They spend winters through the southern Great Plains to the Gulf of Mexico.
- B. j. kriderii breeds in the northern Great Plains from south-central Canada south to South Dakota and Wyoming. They spend winters mainly in the southern Great Plains, and east to the Mississippi River delta.
- B. j. fuertesi lives in Arizona and east to central Texas, and south to Mexico.
- B. j. hadropus lives in south-central Mexico.
- B. j. kemsiesi lives in southern Mexico and northern Central America.
- B. j. costaricensis lives in Costa Rica and Panama.
- B. j. fumosus lives on Islands off Nayarit (Mexico).
- B. j. socorroensis lives on Isla Socorro (Mexico) in the Revillagigedo archipelago.
- B. j. borealis breeds from Alberta east to Hudson Bay, Québec, and the Maritime Provinces, and south from eastern Texas to northern Florida. They spend winters from the Great Plains to New England, and south to eastern Mexico.
- B. j. umbrinus lives in Florida.
- B. j. jamaicensis lives in Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
- B. j. solitudinis lives in the Bahamas and Cuba.
I must confess, I no longer find the level of excitement in meeting these magnificent birds of prey that I did when first I began capturing bird images. That’s not because I no longer find these birds amazing. It’s more a reflection of how I choose to manage my time and energy when in the field. But that’s not to say I won’t find the inspiration to capture an image in the future.
32 Photos

Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Nothing like a raptor flyover to get the birds below stirred up. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Butte County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:30 10:19 |
Location:
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X5966-RedTailedHawk |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Juvenile flyover west of Highway 395, north of June Lake Junction. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 10:09 |
Location:
June Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X7315-RedTailedHawk-Juvenile |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Grasslands, South Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:05 17:18 |
Location:
Poway Royal Mobile Estates |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1500 |
File Name: JCD4845.RedTailedHawk |
© 2010 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Boulder Oaks Reserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:06:14 18:42 |
Location:
Boulder Oaks |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD7006-RedTailedHawk |
© 2008 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: BioBlitz 2009. Cliff nests are atypical for these birds. Mission Gorge at Mission Trails Regional Park, near Santee, California in San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2009:05:02 11:39 |
Location:
Mission Trails Regional Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 |
File Name: jcd7527.RedTailedHawk.Nest_ |
© 2009 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Boulder Oaks Reserve. Ramona, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2008:06:27 11:32 |
Location:
Boulder Oaks |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/7.1, 1/3200 |
File Name: JCD7657RedTailedHawk |
© 2008 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Diaz Lake near Lone Pine. Inyo County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:05:27 19:41 |
Location:
Diaz Lake |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/250 |
File Name: JCD7909-RedTailedHawk |
© 2011 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2000:12:31 8:08 |
Location:
Poway Grove Park |
Camera Information: Nikon SUPER COOLSCAN 4000 ED, |
File Name: A0L31a33-RedTailedHawk |
© 2000 - Jack Daynes - shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Grasslands, South Poway California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2010:01:05 17:18 |
Location:
Poway Grasslands |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1500 |
File Name: Cut_JCD4845.RedTailedHawk |
© 2010 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: This individual appears to be a 'Light Morph Adult" at Sacramento NWR, near Willows, Northern California. |
Date Taken: 2003:12:17 15:44 |
Location:
Sacramento NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/500 |
File Name: JCD_5102RedTailedHawk |
© 2003 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Garden Canyon, North Face of the Huachuca Mountains. Sierra Vista, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:09:01 11:56 |
Location:
Garden Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 600 mm, f/8.5, 1/320 |
File Name: JCD_9842RedTailedHawk |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Nothing like a raptor flyover to get the birds below stirred up. Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Butte County, California. |
Date Taken: 2011:12:30 10:20 |
Location:
Gray Lodge Wildlife Area |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/640 |
File Name: D3X5972-RedTailedHawk |
© 2011 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Garden Canyon, North Face of the Huachuca Mountains. Sierra Vista, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2004:09:01 11:59 |
Location:
Garden Canyon |
Camera Information: NIKON D1X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/180 |
File Name: JCD_9849RedTailedHawk |
© 2004 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: I was lucky to catch this bird just after defending his catch from a sibling in a field of alfalfa near Merrill Oregon. I missed catching the confrontation, but was in a good position to capture him on the perch where he consumed his prize. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:18 10:56 |
Location:
Merrill Pit Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk-Juvenile_D5X5445-MerrillOregon |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: I was lucky to catch this juvenile bird just after defending his catch from a sibling in a field of alfalfa near Merrill Oregon. I missed catching the confrontation, but was in a good position to capture him on the perch where he consumed his prize. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:18 10:52 |
Location:
Merrill Pit Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk-Juvenile_D5X5302-MerrillOregon |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: I was lucky to catch this bird just after defending his catch from a sibling in a field of alfalfa near Merrill Oregon. I missed catching the confrontation, but was in a good position to capture him on the perch where he consumed his prize. |
Date Taken: 2019:08:18 10:52 |
Location:
Merrill Pit Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/14.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk-Juvenile_D5X5323-MerrillOregon |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: At my house in Poway, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2016:01:26 8:17 |
Location:
Poway Grove Park |
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D723522-RedTailedHawk_36 |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Promontory Road is the route to the historic Golden Spike monument where the builders of the west bound and east bound sections of the first transcontinental railroads met and joined. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:16 7:42 |
Location:
Promontory Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/9.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X3658-PromontoryRoad |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Promontory Road is the route to the historic Golden Spike monument where the builders of the west bound and east bound sections of the first transcontinental railroads met and joined. |
Date Taken: 2017:08:16 8:05 |
Location:
Promontory Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/10.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X3736-PromontoryRoad |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Seen from the "Auto Tour" at the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge near Willows in Northern California. |
Date Taken: 2017:09:14 10:16 |
Location:
Sacramento NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X2016-SacramentoNWR |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Fernbrook, off Mussey Grade Road in Ramona, California. |
Date Taken: 2012:04:04 10:48 |
Location:
Fernbrook |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/5.6, 1/1600 |
File Name: D3X9761-RedTailedHawk |
© 2012 Jack Daynes, shadeTree Imaging |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Poe Road, Salton Sea NWR. Imperial County, Southern California. |
Date Taken: 2014:11:30 14:30 |
Location:
Poe Road |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/3200 |
File Name: D3X3345-RedTailedHawk |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Red-Tailed Hawks soared over the headlands searching for a meal. Point Reyes National Seashore on the northern California coast. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:05 14:29 |
Location:
Point Reyes |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/800 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_8502876-PointReyes |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Red-Tailed Hawks soared over the headlands searching for a meal. Point Reyes National Seashore on the northern California coast. |
Date Taken: 2022:03:05 14:22 |
Location:
Point Reyes |
Camera Information: NIKON D850, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_8502820-PointReyes |
© 2022 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Red-Tailed Hawks seemed shy during our tour at Bosque. Jerry, his good friend Ken and I spent a few hours at Bosque del Apache before meeting master falconer Matt and his Harris Hawks. |
Date Taken: 2020:12:05 13:15 |
Location:
Bosque del Apache NWR |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X4688-BosqueDelApache |
© 2020 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: The Pintail Duck made a narrow escape at Cibola NWR, South of Blyth, CA. In Arizona near the Colorado River. |
Date Taken: 2006:02:17 15:00 |
Location:
Goose Loop |
Camera Information: NIKON D2X, 550 mm, f/9.5, 1/350 |
File Name: JCD1708RedTailedHawk-DarkMorph |
© 2006 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: The cienega at Arivaca is part of the Buenos Aires NWR and over the years, one of my favorite birding destinations. Arivaca Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2019:10:27 10:47 |
Location:
Arivaca Cienega |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2500 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X5561-Arivaca |
© 2019 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Juvenile west of Highway 395, north of June Lake Junction. Mono County, California. |
Date Taken: 2014:08:08 10:09 |
Location:
June Lake Junction |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/1250 |
File Name: D3X7326-RedTailedHawk-Juvenile |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTree-Imaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Flyover at Santee Lakes in Santee, California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2014:12:19 11:58 |
Location:
Santee Lakes |
Camera Information: NIKON D3X, 800 mm, f/13.0, 1/1000 |
File Name: D3X4378-RedTailedHawk |
© 2014 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: Camped with the San Diego Natural History team near Campo California. San Diego County. |
Date Taken: 2017:10:27 6:50 |
Location:
Clover Flat |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/8.0, 1/2000 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X5770-CloverFlats |
© 2017 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: It was a banner day for raptors at Palmito Hill this morning. My early morning visit to Palmito Hill, southeast of Brownsville, began in a heavy fog. By mid-day the weather improved only slightly to overcast skies. |
Date Taken: 2021:01:26 12:55 |
Location:
Palmito Hill |
Camera Information: NIKON D5, 800 mm, f/11.0, 1/4000 |
File Name: RedTailedHawk_D5X5119-PalmitoHill-TX |
© 2021 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |


Red-Tailed Hawk(Buteo jamaicensis) |
Description: The cienega at Arivaca. Part of the Buenos Aries NWR in Arivaca, Arizona. |
Date Taken: 2016:03:25 17:49 |
Location:
Arivaca Cienega |
Camera Information: NIKON D7200, 800 mm, f/6.3, 1/2500 |
File Name: D727200-RedTailedHawk |
© 2016 Jack Daynes, shadeTreeImaging.com |

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