Let’s discover what makes them unique, how they live, and where they find their food.
There are a lot of grasslands, deserts, woodlands, and wetlands in Texas.
Many Hawks migrate to Texas, and Nature lovers also travel to Texas to spot the hawks.
[su_quote][su_animate type=”fadeInLeft” duration=”1.5″]I love hawks because of their magnificent speed and how they catch their prey! Do you also like to watch birds? Do you enjoy watching the Hawks play?[/su_animate][/su_quote]
Then let’s discover all the mind-blowing facts about the Texas hawks!
In this article, you will learn all about them! You will also find out how they act and what they look like.
If you keen to know about Hawks? This article will definitely help you.
These birds are birds of prey. They look pretty and move very smoothly.
[su_animate type=”fadeInLeft” duration=”1.5″]So, let’s get started![/su_animate]
TOP 13 BEAUTIFUL HAWKS IN TEXAS
Here are the top 13 must-see birds in Texas, and my favorite one is the Red-shouldered Hawk!
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific Name | Buteo lineatus |
| Lifespan | 10-15 years |
| Top Speed | (64-80 km/h) |
| Weight | (500-1000 g) |
| Length | (43-61 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | Buteo lineatus |
Red-shouldered Hawk is a medium-sized hawk with distinctive rust-colored shoulders and barred reddish-brown and white plumage.
Generally, it eats small birds such as; amphibians and reptiles. Did you know the difference between falcon vs hawks?
Red-shouldered hawks are common in urban and suburban places in Texas.
They are often spotted perching on telephone poles or soaring over open areas.
COOPER’S HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Accipiter cooperii |
| Lifespan | Up to 12 years |
| Top speed | Around 60 mph |
| Weight | (250-410 g) |
| Length | 14-17 inches (36-43 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Accipiter |
| Species | A. cooperii |
Cooper’s Hawks in Texas is a medium-sized hawk with bluish-gray and reddish-brown barred plumage.
Cooper’s hawks feed on medium-sized birds and small mammals.
They can often be spotted in wooded and semi-wooded areas across Texas.
Cooper’s hawk’s nest in dense stands of trees, building a stick nest high up near the tree trunk.
They are a common sight in backyards and parks.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Accipiter striatus |
| Lifespan | Up to 12 years |
| Top speed | Around 40-50 mph (64-80 kph) |
| Weight | (80-115 g) |
| Length | (23-28 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Accipiter |
| Species | A. striatus |
Sharp-shinned Hawk is a small hawk with bluish-gray and rust-colored plumage.
Sharp-shinned hawks feed on small songbirds and can be spotted throughout Texas, especially during fall and winter.
They prefer hunting in wooded areas.
Sharp-shinned hawks are very agile in flight, using their long tails to steer quickly through trees as they chase after prey.
RED-TAILED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo jamaicensis |
| Lifespan | Up to 25 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 120 mph (193 kph) |
| Weight | (680-1000 g) |
| Length | (46-56 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. jamaicensis |
Red-tailed Hawk is the largest Hawk we can find in Texas; it has distinctive rust-colored tail feathers.
Red-tailed normally eat small mammals like; rabbits and rodents.
We can easily find them in a wide range of habitats in Texas, including grasslands, deserts, and urban areas.
Red-tailed Hawks in Texas are often seen soaring high on perched fence posts, utility poles, and tree branches.
Albino peacocks are not a separate species but a color morph of the Indian Blue Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), and the provided information is based on general characteristics.
BROAD-WINGED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo platypterus |
| Lifespan | Up to 12 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 40-60 mph (64-97 kph) |
| Weight | (265-540 g) |
| Length | (33-43 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. platypterus |
Broad-winged Hawks in Texas is a medium-sized hawk with broad, rounded wings and barred brown and cream plumage.
Broad-winged hawks feed on small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles.
We can easily find them during spring and fall migrations and summer breeding in wooded areas across eastern Texas.
Broad-winged hawks migrate in large flocks, gliding on thermals and updrafts to save energy during long flights.
SWAINSON’S HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo swainsoni |
| Lifespan | Up to 20 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 40-50 mph |
| Weight | (500-850 g) |
| Length | (43-56 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. swainsoni |
Swainson’s Hawks in Texas is a large, slender hawk with pointed wings and light brown plumage with darker wingtips.
Swainson’s hawks feed on insects, small mammals, and reptiles.
They can be spotted in grasslands, agricultural fields, and desert scrub across western Texas.
Swainson’s hawks migrate long distances yearly between North American breeding grounds and wintering areas in South America.
ZONE-TAILED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo albonotatus |
| Lifespan | Up to 12 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 25-35 mph (40-56 kph) |
| Weight | (500-640 g) |
| Length | 19-24 inches (48-61 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. albonotatus |
Zone-tailed Hawks in Texas is a large, mostly black tailed hawk with barred tail feathers.
Zone-tailed hawks usually eat birds like small mammals and reptiles.
We can easily spot them in southern and western Texas woodlands, grasslands, and desert scrub.
Zone-tailed hawks are quite skillful flyers and can often mimic the flight style of vultures to approach prey.
HARRIS’S HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Parabuteo unicinctus |
| Lifespan | Up to 25 years in captivity, up to 12 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 40 mph (64 kph |
| Weight | 2-3 lbs (900-1360 g) |
| Length | 18-25 inches (46-64 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Parabuteo |
| Species | P. unicinctus |
Harris’s Hawk is a large Hawks in Texas in Texas with dark plumage and chestnut brown shoulders, legs, and wing linings.
Harris also eats mammals like birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
We can find them in southern Texas’s open woodlands, grasslands, and deserts.
Harris’s hawks are social and often hunt in groups, cooperating to capture prey.
They are the only hawks in North America known to hunt in packs.
WHITE-TAILED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Geranoaetus albicaudatus |
| Lifespan | Up to 16 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 35-40 mph (56-64 kph) in level flight |
| Weight | Males and females: 1.5-2.2 lbs (700-1000 g) |
| Length | 17-22 inches (43-56 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Geranoaetus |
| Species | P. unicinctus |
The White-tailed Hawk is a Hawks in Texas that is not too big. It has a special tail that is white, and its back is a light gray color. The shoulders are a rust color.
White-tailed hawks eat many types of things. They love to eat animals like mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and big bugs.
They live in Texas. Texas has prairies, fields, and drylands. They live there.
White-tailed hawks look for food everywhere they can. Look! Animals are grazing around.
Birds make their homes in little trees, bushes, and yucca plants.
GRAY HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo plagiatus |
| Lifespan | Up to 12 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 35-40 mph (56-64 kph) in level flight |
| Weight | Males: 10.2-14 oz (290-400 g) Females: 12.3-19 oz (350-540 g) |
| Length | 15-19 inches (38-48 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. plagiatus |
Gray Hawk is a medium-sized hawk with ashy gray plumage and a black and white barred tail.
Generally, Gray hawks eat reptiles, for example, amphibians, birds, and mammals.
We can spot them in woodlands and semi-open areas of southern Texas.
Gray hawks nest high in large trees, especially cottonwood and sycamore trees near streams and rivers.
They hunt from low perches, swooping to grab prey in their talons.
FERRUGINOUS HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo regalis |
| Lifespan | Up to 20 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 50 mph (80 kph) in level flight |
| Weight | Males: 2.4-3.7 lbs (1100-1700 g) Females: 3.2-5.3 lbs (1450-2400 g) |
| Length | Males: 22-27 inches (56-69 cm) Females: 23-30 inches (58-76 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. regalis |
Ferruginous Hawk is a large Hawks in Texas with rusty brown upper parts and white under tail coverts.
Ferruginous hawks feed mainly on small mammals like rabbits, prairie dogs, and ground squirrels.
They inhabit grasslands, deserts, and agricultural areas of western Texas.
Ferruginous hawks migrate from northern breeding grounds to spend the winter in Texas and other southern states.
They are one of the largest hawks found in North America.
NORTHERN HARRIER
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Circus hudsonius |
| Lifespan | Up to 16 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 35 mph (56 kph) in level flight |
| Weight | Males: 12-19 oz (340-550 g) Females: 18-27 oz (500-770 g) |
| Length | Males: 18-19 inches (46-48 cm) Females: 19-22 inches (48-56 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Circus |
| Species | C. hudsonius |
Northern Harrier is a medium-sized Hawks in Texas with different owl-like facial discs, barred gray and white plumage, and long broad wings.
Northern harriers usually eat small mammals like birds, amphibians, and reptiles.
We can find them hunting over grasslands, marshes, and agricultural fields across Texas.
Northern harriers nest on the ground, building a loose nest of sticks and grasses.
They glide low over open areas, using their acute hearing to locate prey moving on the ground below.
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
|
FACT |
|
| Scientific name | Buteo lagopus |
| Lifespan | Up to 10 years in the wild |
| Top speed | Around 50 mph (80 kph) in level flight |
| Weight | Males: 1.5-2.6 lbs (680-1200 g) Females: 2.2-3.3 lbs (1000-1500 g) |
| Length | Males: 18-22 inches (46-56 cm) Females: 20-24 inches (51-61 cm) |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Aves |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species | B. lagopus |
Rough-legged, this is Hawk. This Hawk is quite big. Rough-legged Hawk has feathered legs and huge wings. Hawk’s feathers are brown and white.
Rough-legged buzzards in Texas often eat little animals like lemmings, voles, and hares.
In northern Texas, there is coldness in grasslands, marshes, and places where people grow crops.
Legged hawks breed in the Arctic tundra and migrate south to winter in northern Texas.
They hunt by hovering or circling over open areas, dropping down to catch prey in their paws.
VIDEO OF DIFFERENT SPECIES OF HAWKS IN TEXAS
CONCLUSION
Hawks in Texas? Many Hawks love to go to Texas because of the different kinds of places. Some hawks come from far away.
They like Texas because there are grasslands, deserts, woodlands, and wetlands.
In Texas, there are many kinds of hawks. Some are small, like sharp-shinned hawks.
Others are big, like ferruginous hawks. They eat different things, like bugs, lizards, mice, and other birds.
These big birds help keep the little animals and cute birds in check throughout the state.
Next time you’re outside, look up! You might see a big bird! They are birds of prey. They live in trees and on poles. They are imposing!
[su_quote][su_animate type=”fadeInLeft” duration=”1.5″]Well, my favorite one is the red-shouldered Hawk, the reason I give you above, and I love to hear which one you love the most and why?[/su_animate][/su_quote]
FAQ.s
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON HAWK IN CENTRAL TEXAS?
The Red-tailed hawk is the most common hawk we can easily find in Texas.
IS A HAWK BIGGER THAN AN EAGLE?
Yes, hawks are bigger than eagles because they have wide wingspans, they seem similar, but they are different due to their rounded wings.