Juvenile Red-tailed Hawks (Identification Guide with Pictures)

The elegant red-tailed hawk (Jamaican Buteo) is the most widespread of all North American raptors, inhabiting much of Canada and the United States. Red-tailed hawks are polymorphic, with individuals falling into three main morphs; light, dark, and intermediate.

There are also 13 subspecies, so identifying juvenile red-tailed hawks can be a tricky process, to say the least – and this juvenile hawk guide will help!

One of the main differences between juveniles and adults is that juveniles tend to have hazel tails that are evenly spaced. Juveniles of the light-colored variant may be darker on the back and spotted on the belly, but the plumage of other variants is difficult to distinguish.

Another reliable way to identify juvenile red-tailed hawks is by their irises, which turn yellow at about 1.5 years and then turn reddish-brown in adulthood. This is the case for all subspecies and variants.

Because red-tailed hawks can range from almost all white to dark brown or even black, distinguishing juveniles often relies on comparing their size, shape, and behavior to adults.

Read on to learn more about juvenile red-tailed hawks and more identification tips!

A young first winter red-tailed hawk perched on a tree

What does a juvenile red-tailed hawk look like?

Juvenile red-tailed hawks are often described as scruffy or duller than adults. This is partly true, but because red-tailed hawk plumage varies widely among the three main varieties and 13 subspecies, there is no one-size-fits-all way to identify young hawks.

First, juvenile red-tailed hawks may be defined as birds after their first moult. Red-tailed hawks molt and regrow their feathers most years, but young hawks undergo a major moult, transitioning from soft fledgling to adult-like plumage.

At this stage, juveniles are still much smaller than adults, which makes them easier to identify.

After the young eagles begin to develop their adult plumage, identification becomes a greater challenge. White or light-colored juvenile red-tailed hawks may have a spotted belly, a darker back, and a lighter head. Pale juveniles have heavier brown wing spots that can become almost completely white.

The dark deformed juveniles look very similar to the adults, being mainly dark brown or cinnamon, and it is difficult to distinguish them from the adults by their feathers alone.

Juvenile red-tailed hawk (buteo jamaicensis) soars in flight

look carefully at the tail

The preferred method of identifying a juvenile red-tailed hawk is to look closely at the tail.

Red-tailed hawks are somewhat defined by their red tails – which makes sense – although this is not always consistent as some hawks have gray tails with barely any red!

However, juveniles tend to have a striped or banded tail and dark brown upperparts compared to the rusty red or gray tails of adults.

The exceptions are the dark variants, whose tails are not really red at all, but gray in color, whether they are adults or juveniles.

Even so, regardless of the variety or subspecies, the appearance of dark and light stripes or a banded tail is a strong indicator of a juvenile red-tailed hawk.

Juvenile red-tailed hawk perched on a tree looking for prey

How big is a juvenile red-tailed hawk?

Juvenile red-tailed hawks older than about six months are not much smaller than adults. Adult male red-tailed hawks are about 45 to 60 centimeters (18 to 24 inches) long, while females are slightly larger at 48 to 65 centimeters (19 to 26 inches).

After about two months, juveniles approach adult eagles in size and weight, but it takes a year and a half to reach full sexual maturity. While juvenile red-tailed hawks are similar in size to adults, they often have shorter plumage, especially on the wings.

As a result, their profile often appears thinner, making juveniles relatively easy to spot if there are adults nearby for comparison.

Do juvenile red-tailed hawks have striped tails?

Red-tailed hawks generally have a striped tail until they are one to one and a half years old. In adulthood, these bands are replaced by solid colors. Instead of a pure reddish-brown tail, juveniles usually have a darker horizontal bar tail or a narrow red bar.

This is one of the easiest ways to identify a juvenile red-tailed hawk in flight. The distinctly banded tail is a strong indication that this eagle is still a juvenile.

However, this is not always a consistent method of identifying juveniles, as the tails of the dark variant vary very little from juvenile to adult. Also, in some subspecies, such as the Harlan red-tailed hawk, the tail can be white or black instead of red.

An immature red-tailed hawk on a pole

What do juvenile red-tailed hawks eat?

Red-tailed hawks develop their hunting skills over several months and tend to target voles and other small ground mammals.

Adult animals develop more flexible hunting skills and prey on about 50 species of animals. Ground squirrels, rabbits and voles continue to make up the bulk of their diet.

How long do red-tailed hawk juvenile feathers last?

Plumage replacement in juvenile red-tailed hawks usually takes several months.

Young red-tailed hawks molt twice before reaching adulthood, and adults tend to molt once a year. The new undercoat is replaced about 2 to 3 months after hatching, at which time hawks tend to develop juvenile feathers. Adolescents do not fully transition to adulthood in about 1.5 years.

A juvenile red-tailed hawk well camouflaged

How long do juvenile red-tailed hawks stay with their parents?

Like many birds of prey, red-tailed hawks have a relatively slow and patient life cycle. They fly out after about 44 to 48 days, but remain close to their parents for the next 10 to 12 weeks.

During this time, the parents will still help feed the pups. After about 15 to 16 weeks, the parents will stop responding to the pups, and they will then be forced to leave and roam the area until they reach sexual maturity. During this time, young red-tailed hawks often try to hang around and watch their parents hunt.

A young red-tailed hawk

Other Differences Between Juvenile and Adult Red-tailed Hawks

silhouettes and shapes

Adult red-tailed hawks are fuller in outline. This is because their primary feathers are longer than juveniles, which give them a broader profile in flight. In contrast, juveniles are thinner and have narrower tails.

Behavior

Juvenile red-tailed hawks are less confident in flight than adults. Adults spend most of their time soaring or perching in trees, while juveniles fly at lower altitudes by flapping their wings rather than soaring. Overall, juvenile red-tailed hawks do not have the same aerial abilities as adults and may appear clumsy in flight.

hunt

Juvenile red-tailed hawks mainly target voles, which have been found to be their main food. Prey are often seen wriggling and trying to escape the grasp of juvenile claws, possibly because they are not as effective at killing prey as adults. Red-tailed hawks diversify their diets at maturity to include cunning, faster-moving prey.

Juvenile red-tailed hawks also tend to hunt from low altitudes and hover rather than soar. Soaring high in the sky is a tricky skill that only adult eagles can master!

Close-up of a juvenile red-tailed hawk

migrant

Beginning in the fall, many red-tailed hawks migrate, at least in part. Juveniles tend to migrate one to two months earlier than adults.

Eye

Juvenile red-tailed hawks tend to have pale yellow eyes, while adults have dark brown eyes.

Some adults have extremely dark brown eyes, which makes them easy to spot. This is the same in all varieties and subspecies (and many other birds of the genus Buteo). If the bird’s irises appear to be yellow, then this is a strong indication that it is not yet an adult. However, eye color changes are gradual and often difficult to spot without observing the bird well under proper lighting.