Buzzard v. Red-tailed Hawk (1 Viewer)

[Jack Dawe]

I'm sure this must have been asked before, but I couldn't find anything when I searched.

Given the variability of Buzzard especially, what are the features to home in on in order to distinguish Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis from Buzzards Buteo buteo with red tails? Are there any easy rules of thumb? From photos it seems to me that the pale breast band is consistently lower down the body on Buzzard, but then there are pale Buzzards to contend with.

 

[AlinoVegano]

I'm sure this must have been asked before, but I couldn't find anything when I searched.

Given the variability of Buzzard especially, what are the features to home in on in order to distinguish Red-tailed Hawk Buteo jamaicensis from Buzzards Buteo buteo with red tails? Are there any easy rules of thumb? From photos it seems to me that the pale breast band is consistently lower down the body on Buzzard, but then there are pale Buzzards to contend with.

When in Europe, it is a Common Buzzard, in North America, a Red-tailed Buzzard; although you mind find to identification details, practically it is how most people separate the two.

 

[Nutcracker]

When in Europe, it is a Common Buzzard, in North America, a Red-tailed Buzzard; although you mind find to identification details, practically it is how most people separate the two.

Not quite as simple as that, unfortunately - there's quite a few escaped falconer's RTHawks floating around Britain, including a breeding pair or two reported*, and several cases of RTH paired with CB and producing hybrid young. You can't rely on the presence of jesses, either, as they're strong enough to chew them off after a while.

* Edit: 'controlled' (recaptured or culled), if I remember rightly, but could be wrong there

 

[Sangahyando]

If it has a pale iris and/or a dark patagial stripe (along the leading edge of the underwing coverts of the "arm"), it's probably a RTH.
Do keep in mind though that Rough-legged Buzzard, which is much more likely in Europe than RTH, also tends to have a pale iris.

 

[aeshna5]

Not quite as simple as that, unfortunately - there's quite a few escaped falconer's RTHawks floating around Britain, including a breeding pair or two reported*, and several cases of RTH paired with CB and producing hybrid young. You can't rely on the presence of jesses, either, as they're strong enough to chew them off after a while.

* Edit: 'controlled' (recaptured or culled), if I remember rightly, but could be wrong there

Are you not getting confused with Harris's Hawk? Haven't heard of RT Hawk breeding in UK either with themselves or Common Buzzard, but certainly Harris's Hawk in both scenarios.

 

[lou salomon]

If it has a pale iris and/or a dark patagial stripe (along the leading edge of the underwing coverts of the "arm"), it's probably a RTH.
Do keep in mind though that Rough-legged Buzzard, which is much more likely in Europe than RTH, also tends to have a pale iris.

sangayando, all or most buteo species including common buzzard and red-tailed hawk have pale irides during their first year of life which afterwards get darker so adults (of both sp.) have dark brown irides. the dark patagial stripe is a good feature of RTH but not obvious in all individuals; btw. red tailed common buzzards of the nominate subsp. are rare!

 

[Nutcracker]

Are you not getting confused with Harris's Hawk? Haven't heard of RT Hawk breeding in UK either with themselves or Common Buzzard, but certainly Harris's Hawk in both scenarios.

Even more of them :t:

For RTH, Brit. Birds 100: 645 (2007) & 104: 131 (2011). Can't find my suggestion of a breeding pair being removed, so best discount that one.

 

[Jack Dawe]

Interesting read. Thanks very much!