Ferruginous Hawk ( Buteo regalis )

Light-morph Ferruginous Hawk in captivity

Photograph by Tomfriede. Some rights reserved.

Ferruginous hawk on nest

Photograph by Mark Hilliard, BLM.. License: Public Domain.

FERRUGINOUS HAWK FACTS

Description
The Ferruginous Hawk is a large hawk with white or pale gray tail. There are two color morphs - light and dark. The light morph has white and pal gray head, reddish brown back and shoulders , mainly white underside with some reddish brown streaks, reddish leg feathers, The dark morph is mostly dark brown, with light gray or whitish tail, and whitish wing tips. light area near end of wings. The legs are feathered to the toes. Males and females are similar - females are larger and have darker markings on legs and belly. Juvenile birds have lightly banded tail.

Size
length 56cm - 69cm. Wingspan 133cm - 142cm

Environment
Open country, prairies, plains, arid country.

Food
Small mammals such as rabbits, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs.

Breeding
The nest is made from sticks, branches and other plant material lined with fine bark. Nests in trees near streams, on steep slopes, or mound in open desert. Builds on top of an old nest or uses nest of another species. Lays one to eight (average three or four) white eggs with reddish brown blotches and speckles.

Range
Breeds in southern Alberta to south western Manitoba in Canada, northern United States from east Washington and east Oregon to South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska. Winters in western half of the United States, and northern and central Mexico.

Conservation Status
The conservation status in the 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals is "near threatened".

Classification