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How to Compare a Red-Tailed Hawk to Other Bird Sizes

Red-tailed hawks are some of the most frequently observed hawk species in North America and are also found in the Caribbean and in Latin America as well. Boasting over a dozen subspecies, red-tails --- also referred to as buzzard hawks --- can make their homes in anything from deserts to mountains to rainforests. The tricky part about identifying them, however, is that there are several species that resemble red-tailed hawks quite closely in both size and appearance.

Things You'll Need

Binoculars
Birdwatcher literature

Instructions

- 1
  Study the dimensions of the typical red-tailed hawk. To compare the red-tail to another bird, it is first useful to know what you're looking at in the first place. A red-tailed hawk usually ranges between 17 and 22 inches (nearly 2 feet) long, and its wingspan ranges between 3 1/2 and 4 1/2 feet. Body weight typically falls between 1 1/2 to 3 1/4 pounds.
- 2
  Isolate similar-looking species of birds. AllAboutBirds.org (out of Cornell University) lists three species, in particular, that may lead to common misidentification: the red-shouldered hawk, Swainson's hawk and the turkey vulture.
- 3
  
  Turkey vultures fly more awkwardly than red-tailed hawks, and soar on bent pinions.
  
  Focus on the wings to distinguish between the red-tail and the turkey vulture. If the bird's wings are held on bent pinions rather than on straight pinions, you're looking at the turkey vulture. Additionally, the vulture's neck tends to be noticeably longer. It also appears more rectangular than does the red-tail hawk.
- 4
  Observe the overall size of the body and wingspan to help identify the red-shouldered hawk, which tends to be slightly smaller, all around, than the red-tail, with a body often measuring between 15 and 19 inches and with a wingspan of 3 to 3 1/2 feet. Its body weight is commensurately lower, falling between 1 and 2 pounds.
- 5
  Remember that the Swainson's hawk has a much larger wingspan than the red-tail, sometimes even be up to 1 full foot wider. Its body weight and length, however, can be quite similar to the red-tailed hawk's, so base your identification of Swainson's hawk on the wingspan when possible.

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