Raptor Species Identification and Photo Gallery
Click on the photos of each species below for our photo gallery of that species and for more information concerning it. For more help in identifying different species, please see our Identification tips, found below the galleries on this page (Click here to go directly to the Identification tips).
Please note that neither this section as a whole, nor the individual parts of it, is exhaustive. There are many raptor species, including some indigenous to North America, that are not included in the present version. If you have photographs or information about any raptor species, please feel encouraged to send e-mail to the Canadian Peregrine Foundation.
(See also the New York identification guide, with Illustrations and brief descriptions of all raptors in the northeastern states.)
If you are looking for photographs of owls, Visit the Owl Photo Gallery |
HAWKS |
BUTEOS |
ACCIPITERS |
From each category below, try to identify the species that match best with your observations. In most cases this should narrow down the possibilities to just a couple of species. Once these have been selected, go back to the galleries of species at the top of this page, and visit the pages to which the photos lead for more information.
Size:
Try to estimate the size of the bird. The easiest way is often to compare
it to a common bird. Some commonly used reference birds are listed
in the table below.
A raptor similar in size to a: | ...is likely to be a: |
Blue Jay, Mourning Dove, Rock Dove (Pigeon), Common Grackle | American Kestrel, Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk |
American Crow, Ring-billed Gull | Peregrine Falcon, Cooper's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk |
Common Raven or large American Crow | Rough-legged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Gyrfalcon |
Peregrine with crows - Compare size and colour |
Shape:
When perched, most raptors have a similar upright posture. However, in
flight the shape of their wings and tail can be very helpful for
identification.
Flight shape | Species |
Long, narrow wings, generally pointed toward the tips. Moderately long tail, usually narrow, but can be flared wide occasionally. | American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Gyrfalcon |
Short, broad wings, with rounded tips. Long narrow tails. | Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk |
Broad wings, relatively long, and rounded at the tips. Tails short and broad. | Rough-legged Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk |
Colour:
Often the most obvious feature of a bird at first is its plumage.
Observing the colours and patterns on a raptor can help greatly in
identification.
There are two sections below. The first relates characteristics to species exhibiting that characteristic. The second relates each species to the characteristics it exhibits.
sorted by characteristic |
Characteristic | Species |
Back | Wings | |
dull brown | dull brown | immature Merlin, adult female Merlin, immature Peregrine Falcon, immature accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk), Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, immature Red-shouldered Hawk |
rusty brown | rusty brown | female American Kestrel |
rusty brown | blue | male American Kestrel |
mottled red/gray/black | mottled red/gray/black | adult Red-shouldered Hawk |
blue-gray | blue-gray | adult Peregrine Falcon, adult accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk) |
Underparts | |
vertical brown streaks | immature Peregrine Falcon, immature accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk) |
upper breast mostly unmarked; horizontal black barring further down | adult Peregrine Falcon |
horizontal reddish-brown barring | adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, adult Cooper's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk |
fine horizontal gray barring | adult Northern Goshawk |
upper breast dark brown; lower parts mostly white with some speckling | Swainson's Hawk |
upper breast pale with light speckling or streaking; dark band across belly (sometimes incomplete) | Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk (light phase) |
solid dark brown | Rough-legged Hawk (dark phase) |
Iris | |
yellow | immature accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk), Red-tailed Hawk, immature Broad-winged Hawk, immature Red-shouldered Hawk, |
orange/red | adult accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk) |
dark brown/black | American Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Gyrfalcon, adult Broad-winged Hawk, adult Red-shouldered Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk |
sorted by species |
Raptors | Characteristics |
Back/Wings | Underparts | Iris | |
immature Peregrine Falcon, immature Merlin, adult female Merlin | Solid brown back | whitish underparts with moderate to heavy vertical brown streaking | black |
immature Red-shouldered Hawk, immature Broad-winged Hawk | Mottled brown back | whitish underparts with moderate to heavy vertical brown streaking | yellow |
immature accipiters (Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk) | Solid brown back | whitish underparts with moderate to heavy vertical brown streaking | yellow |
adult Peregrine Falcon | Blue-gray back | mostly unmarked white to salmon breast; moderate black barring across rest of underparts. (Distinct malar stripe (mustache) on face) | black |
adult Sharp-shinned Hawk, adult Cooper's Hawk | Blue-gray back | underparts covered in moderate to heavy reddish-brown barring | orange/red |
adult Northern Goshawk | Blue-gray back | underparts covered in fine gray barring (prominent white line over eye) | orange/red |
adult male Merlin | Blue-gray back | vertical brown streaking on breast | black |
male American Kestrel | Blue wings contrasting with rusty brown back | rusty brown above with black speckles below | black |
female American Kestrel | Rusty brown back and wings | breast white with vertical rusty brown streaks | black |
adult Red-tailed Hawk | Dull brown back and wings | upper breast white with brown speckles; partial to complete dark band across lower belly; tail red above, pinkish-red below. | yellow |
immature Red-tailed Hawk | Dull brown back and wings | upper breast white with brown speckles; partial to complete dark band across lower belly; tail barred white and brown. | yellow |
adult Red-shouldered Hawk | mottled red/gray/black | breast heavily barred with red | dark brown/black |
adult Broad-winged Hawk | brown | breast heavily barred with red | dark brown/black |
Location:
Many raptors are migratory, and thus have the potential to appear in areas far
outside of their normal distribution. For the most part, however, the
range of possibilities can be narrowed down by consulting the range maps of any
field guide. Most of the species discussed on this page are widespread
across much of North America; notable exceptions are the Gyrfalcon (restricted
to the Arctic in summer and rarely south of Canada even in winter), the
Swainson's Hawk (primarily western), the Broad-winged Hawk (primarily eastern),
and the Red-shouldered Hawk (primarily eastern, plus in California).
Habitat:
Most raptors are somewhat adaptable in the range of habitats they frequent, but
are more typically found in certain areas, as follows:
Habitat | Most likely species |
Forest interior | Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk |
Forest edges | Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Red-tailed Hawk |
Agricultural lands / other open areas | American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Gyrfalcon (also Turkey Vulture) |
Wetlands | Red-shouldered Hawk, Peregrine Falcon (also other raptors such as Bald Eagle, Osprey, Northern Harrier) |
Residential areas | American Kestrel, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk |
Industrial areas | American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk |
City centres | American Kestrel, Merlin, Red-tailed Hawk, Peregrine Falcon (also Turkey Vulture) |
Behaviour:
Observing the way in which any bird acts can often reveal some diagnostic
clues. Among raptors, these are some of the more useful behaviours for
identification purposes:
Behaviour | Species |
High altitude, high speed vertical stoop (dive) at prey | Peregrine Falcon |
Low level stoop at prey | American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk |
Hovering | American Kestrel, Rough-legged Hawk, (occasionally Red-tailed Hawk) |
Perching on roadside fence posts / lamp posts / poles / wires | American Kestrel, Red-tailed Hawk, Swainson's Hawk (occasionally Broad-winged Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk) |
Hunting at bird feeders | Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk |
Low level rapid pursuit of prey | Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Gyrfalcon |
Nesting in eavestrough / roof / other building cavities | American Kestrel |
Nesting in spruce or other conifer | Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk |
Nesting in deciduous tree | Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Northern Goshawk |
Nesting on a cliff | Peregrine Falcon, Gyrfalcon |
Still confused? E-mail us as complete a description as possible and/or a photograph of the bird, and we'll try to assist with the identification. |
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