Ferruginous hawk Buteo regalis

Identification Tips:

• Sexes similar
• Short, dark, hooked beak
• Large, broad-winged, broad-tailed hawk
• Extremely long gape extends to below eye
• Legs feathered to toes

Light morph adult:

• Pale head, neck, breast, and belly
• Variable rufous mottling on underwing coverts
• Rufous leg coverts
• Tail appears gray, rufous or whitish above and pale below
• Gray or blue-gray upperwings have rufous upperwing coverts

Light morph immature:

• Pale head, neck, breast, and belly
• White leg coverts
• Dusky tail with several dark bands
• Gray or brown-gray back and upperwings

Dark morph adult:

• Entirely dark-brown body plumage
• Undersides of flight feathers are pale without barring
• White comma in outermost underwing coverts
• Tail like light morph adult

Dark morph immature:

• Entirely dark brown body plumage
• Undersides of flight feathers are pale without barring
• White comma in outermost underwing coverts
• Tail like light morph immature

Similar species:

Red-tailed Hawk is similar in light morph but typically has belly band, patagial mark, different tail pattern and lacks rufous leggings. White-chested appearance is otherwise distinctive. Dark morph adults are separated from other dark morph buteos by pale, unmarked flight feathers, white comma in underwing coverts, dark undertail coverts and tail pattern. The feathered legs are shared only by Rough-legged Hawk but are difficult to see well.