Ferruginous Hawk

Buteo regalis


eBird describes the Ferruginous Hawk like this:  Large raptor of dry open country; light morph much more common than dark morph. Light adult distinctly rufous above with blue-gray flight feathers, white breast, and rufous barring on sides. Tail very pale with light rufous upperside. Light juvenile lacks rufous tones of adult but still shows pale tail and clean white breast. Dark morph rich brown overall with pale tail and white undersides on flight feathers. Wings show a dihedral or V-shape when soaring; wings rather long. Usually seen singly. Feeds on rodents.  The website All About Birds gives this additional information about this bird:  Found in prairies, deserts, and open range of the West, the regal Ferruginous Hawk hunts from a lone tree, rock outcrop, or from high in the sky. This largest of North American hawks really is regal—its species name is regalis—with a unique gray head, rich, rusty (ferruginous) shoulders and legs, and gleaming white underparts. A rarer dark-morph is reddish-chocolate in color. Ferruginous Hawks eat a diet of small mammals, sometimes standing above prairie dog or ground squirrel burrows to wait for prey to emerge.

I saw my first Ferruginous Hawk on January 11, 2024 while on a Bobcat Safari with Brent Paull in the Yokohl Valley of California.

WHEN WE FIRST SAW THE FERRUGINOUS HAWK, IT WAS PERCHED ON A POST.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE FERRUGINOUS HAWK DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE HIS PERCH.


Cool Facts About the Ferruginous Hawk From All About Birds:

  • In winter, groups of 5–10 Ferruginous Hawks congregate in prairie dog towns, striking prey when it emerges. They threaten each other by hopping and flapping their wings, creating a feeding frenzy that may attract more Ferruginous Hawks, along with Golden and Bald Eagles.
  • When bison still roamed the west, Ferruginous Hawk nests contained bison bones and hair along with sticks and twigs.
  • The bulky sticks of their nests are not easily woven together for tree nesting, so they often build on the remains of pre-existing hawk or crow nests. Conservation managers can take advantage of this, providing artificial nests to help boost populations.
  • Ferruginous Hawks and Rough-legged Hawks (plus the Golden Eagle) are the only American hawks to have feathered legs all the way down to their toes.
  • Ferruginous means rust-colored, and refers to the reddish back and legs of light-morph birds (which are more common than dark morphs).
  • Rivaling the massive Ferruginous Hawk in size is the Upland Buzzard of central Asia, which may be a close relative from the days of the Alaska–Siberia land bridge. Ferruginous Hawk fossils are found across the west and date back to the late Pleistocene.
  • The oldest Ferruginous Hawk on record was at least 23 years, 8 months old when it was found in Nevada in 2006. It was banded in the same state in 1982.