Hawks found in the United States are divided into the following groups: short-winged hawks, broad-winged hawks, and harriers. All three groups belong to the family Accipitridae. A number of birds belonging to other families are sometimes called hawks. An example is the American sparrow hawk, a member of the falcon family, Falconidae.

or Bird Hawks, belong to the genus Accipiter. They have small heads and long tails. They are sometimes called blue darters because of their gray-blue backs and their ability to maneuver in heavily wooded areas. Several species are used in falconry. Three species of short-winged hawks are found in the United States:

the largest of the short-winged hawks, is 20 to 24 inches (50 to 60 cm) in length and has a blackish crown, blazing red eyes, and pale-gray underparts. Its name comes from “goose hawk,” for the bird was formerly trained to hunt geese and other game birds. In America the goshawk breeds in the woodlands of Canada and the northern United States, wintering southward into Mexico. Usually three to four bluish-white eggs are laid in a nest of sticks built high in a tall tree.

The goshawk is A. gentilis.

is 14 to 20 inches (35 to 50 cm) long. The top of its bead is blackish and its breast is reddish brown. It breeds from the woodlands of southern Canada to the Gulf States and northern Mexico, and winters as far south as lower Central America.

Cooper's hawk is A. cooperii.

resembles Cooper's hawk but is only 10 to 14 inches (25 to 35 cm) long. It ranges over all of North America, breeding south to Florida and northern Mexico and wintering south to Panama.

The sharp-shinned hawk is A. striatus.

belong to the genus Buteo. They are noted for their habit of soaring in wide circles. Their tails are broad and rounded. Ten species of broad-winged hawks are found in the United States. They include the following:

is 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) long. It is grayish brown on top with rusty-red shoulders, and a paler reddish-gray underneath. There are dark bands across wings and tail. It breeds over most of Canada and the United States south to northern Mexico, wintering in the southern part of its range.

The red-shouldered hawk is B. lineatus.

19 to 24 inches (48 to 60 cm) long, is dark brown on top, except for the rusty-red tail. The tail is whitish underneath. Red-tailed hawks are whitish on the breast, with brown streaks across the belly. There are subgroups, of phases, of the red-tailed hawk that differ in color from the larger group. One of these is sooty black except for the red tail, another is almost white, and a third is reddish and buff all over. The red-tailed hawk breeds all over North America south to the West Indies.

The red-tailed hawk is B. jamaicensis.

A buteo (BYOO tee oh) is a soaring hawk. A buteo glides high in the air, using its remarkable eyesight to scan the ground for prey. When a buteo like this red-tailed hawk spots prey, it dives down. It strikes the prey with sharp talons. Then it carries the prey to a perch, where the hawk can eat safely.

Buteos are powerful fliers. They need to be, because their prey include rabbits and pheasants. These animals are heavier than the prey eaten by forest hawks. It takes young buteos a long time to become good hunters.When courting, male buteos do spectacular high flights and dives. A courting pair may hold claws and do cartwheels in the air.

gets its name from the feathers covering the front of its legs. It is 20 to 24 inches (50 to 60 cm) long. Most rough-legged hawks are brown, white, and reddish on top. The whitish breast is streaked with brown, and the white tail has a broad black band at the end. There is a black phase of the rough-legged hawk. The rough-legged hawk breeds in the Arctic and winters from southern Canada to Louisiana and Texas.

The rough-legged hawk is B. lagopus.

belong to the genus Circus. They have long, tapered wings and long legs. Of the 10 species of harriers, only one species, the marsh hawk, is found in the United States.