Ferruginous Hawk

Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) is in the Hawks, Eagles, and Kites family (Accipitridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 7,003 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in January.

Seasonal pattern in the national data: winter visitor. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.

When to photograph Ferruginous Hawk: observations by month (U.S.)

About Ferruginous Hawk

The ferruginous hawk (ferruginous = from Latin ferrum – iron, ferrugin-, iron rust, iron-rust color – reddish-brown), Buteo regalis (Latin, royal hawk), is a large bird of prey and belongs to the broad-winged buteo hawks. An old colloquial name is ferrugineous rough-leg, due to its similarity to the closely related rough-legged hawk (B. lagopus).From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.

Ferruginous Hawk by state

Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.

Related birds (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)

Red-tailed HawkButeo jamaicensis

Bald EagleHaliaeetus leucocephalus

Red-shouldered HawkButeo lineatus

Cooper's HawkAstur cooperii

Northern HarrierCircus hudsonius

Mississippi KiteIctinia mississippiensis

Swainson's HawkButeo swainsoni

Broad-winged HawkButeo platypterus

Photography tips

• Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
• Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
• Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
• Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.

FAQ