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The Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, is a large North American hawk.

Like most members of the genus Buteo, red-tails have long, broad wings and broad but not very long tails. Birds of this species have a dark mark along the leading edge of the underwing, between the body and the wrist (the patagium ). Most but not all colour variations have a dark band across the belly. In most, adults' tails above are rusty red and immatures' have narrow brown and pale bands. The main western population has bands on the adults' rusty tails as well and has varied plumage, organized into three main colour types or morphs.

• Light-morph birds are mainly brown on the upperparts and very pale brown or buff on the underparts and underwings; they show a belly band.
• Rufous-morph birds are darker and redder, with reddish-brown rather than white on the underparts. The belly band may be barely visible.
• Dark-morph birds are very dark brown on both upperparts and underparts; they have lighter parts on the underwings.

Almost all of the main eastern population are light-morph, with whiter underparts and paler markings than western birds and with solid rust-red tails as adults. Other variations are:

• Harlan's Hawk usually has blackish plumage contrasting with white undersides of the flight feathers; the tail may be reddish or grey and is longitudinally streaked rather than barred. It breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada and winters from NebraskaNebraska ( In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: Cornhusker State Other U. States Capital Lincoln Largest City Omaha Governor Mike Johanns Area Total Land Water % water Ranked 16th 200,520 km² 199,099 km² 1,247 km² 0. 6% Population Total ( 2000) Density and IowaIowa Flag of Iowa (In Detail) (Full size) State nickname: "The Hawkeye State Other U. States Capital Des Moines Largest City Des Moines Governor Thomas Vilsack Area Total % water Ranked 26th 145,743 km2 0. 71% Population Total ( 2000) Density Ranked 30th to TexasTexas joined the United States of America as its 28th member state in 1845. It has the postal abbreviation TX . The state name derives from a word in a Caddoan language of the Hasinai, tejas meaning friends or allies Spanish explorers mistakenly applied t and northern LouisianaLouisiana is a southern state of the United States of America. It uses the U. postal abbreviation LA . The state is bordered to the west by the state of Texas, to the north by Arkansas, to the east by the state of Mississippi, and to the south by the Gulf. It is sometimes considered a separate species, Buteo harlani.
• Krider's Hawk is paler than other red-tails, especially on the head; the tail may be pinkish or white. It is mainly found in the central prairieA prairie is an area of land of low topographic relief that principally supports grasses and herbs, with few trees, and is generally of a mesic (moderate or temperate) climate. Most of the Great Plains, most of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ios.

Their breeding habitat is open country with high perches across most of North America south to PanamaPanama ( Spanish: Panam is the southernmost country of Central America. It constitutes the last part of a natural land bridge between the North American and South American continents. History Main article: History of Panama Panama was part of Spain's colo. They build a stick nest in a large tree, in a cactus, or on a cliff ledge; they may also nest on man-made structures.

In most of the United StatesThe United States of America also referred to as the United States U. America ¹ or the States is a federal republic in central North America, stretching from the Atlantic in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west. It shares land borders with Canada in, Red-tailed Hawks are permanent residents. Northern birds migrate further south.

These birds wait on a high perch and swoop down on prey; they may also patrol open areas in flight. They mainly eat small mammals, birds and reptiles.

In flight, these birds soar with wings in a slight dihedral, flapping as little as possible. They sometimes hover on beating wings and sometimes "kite", or remain stationary above the ground by soaring into the wind.

The Red-tailed Hawk is common and widespread, partly because it has benefited from European settlement. The clearing of trees in the east provided hunting areas, and the practice of sparing woodlots left nest sites. Conversely, the planting of trees in the west provided nest sites where there had been none. The construction of highways with treeless medians and shoulders and with utility poles alongside provided perfect habitat for perch-hunting, so Red-tailed Hawks are now a common sight along highways. Finally, these birds have moved into New York and other cities, as in the successful non-fiction book Red-Tails in Love: A Wildlife Drama in Central Park, by Marie Winn .