There are a few different species of hawks that can have white feathers underneath their wings or bellies. The most common hawks with white undersides are the Red-tailed Hawk, the Ferruginous Hawk, the Rough-legged Hawk, and the Swainson’s Hawk. Knowing how to identify these different hawks takes some practice, as their markings can vary quite a bit between individuals and subspecies. The key is looking for the combination of colors, patterns, size, behavior, habitat, and range to correctly ID which white-bellied hawk you’re seeing.
Red-tailed Hawk
The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most widespread and commonly seen hawks in North America. They are large, stocky buteos with broad, rounded wings and short, fanned tails. As their name suggests, they are easily identified by their reddish-brown tails. The rest of their plumage can range from almost black to very pale, but most Red-tailed Hawks have a pale belly that contrasts with their dark chest and wing feathers. Their heads are marked with a dark bellyband and pale supercilium (eyebrow).
Red-tailed Hawks are highly adaptable generalist predators, able to thrive in many open and semi-open habitats from coast to coast. They are often seen soaring over fields, perched on poles or branches along roadsides, and even hunting in urban and suburban areas. The light color on their underbelly is useful camouflage when they are hunting small mammals from an aerial vantage point.
Ferruginous Hawk
The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest hawk native to North America. They have pale undertail coverts and bellies that contrast with their rufous (rusty-colored) backs and shoulders. Their legs are fully feathered down to their toes, unlike most other North American raptors. Ferruginous Hawks have pale heads that are lightly streaked through the crown and lined with a dark “mustache.”
These massive hawks inhabit prairies, plains, badlands, and other wide open spaces in western North America. They mainly eat small to medium sized mammals like rabbits, ground squirrels, and prairie dogs. The light undersides of Ferruginous Hawks provide camouflage as they hunt during daylight hours from low elevations or from a perch.
Rough-legged Hawk
The Rough-legged Hawk breeds in arctic regions of North America and Eurasia. During the winter they migrate south into Canada and the northern United States. As their name suggests, Rough-legged Hawks have fully feathered legs that extend down to their talons. They are slender, medium-sized raptors with long, broad wings.
Adult Rough-legged Hawks have dark brown upperparts contrasting with a white head, throat, belly, and base of the tail. The dark wrist of the underwing forms a dark crescent shape in flight. There is also a wide dark bellyband visible across the lower breast when seen from below. The long winged, white-bellied Rough-legged Hawk is specialized for hovering and hunting over open tundra and fields.
Swainson’s Hawk
Swainson’s Hawk is a slim, long-winged buteo found in western North America. It has pointed wings and a squared off tail with contrasting light and dark panels. Swainson’s Hawks have dark heads with a pale face and variable amounts of rufous coloration on their underparts. The wings and back are dark gray-brown contrasting with a white underside with variable streaks and spots.
These hawks migrate annually between breeding grounds in western North America to wintering areas in southern South America. Swainson’s Hawks hunt insects and small mammals in open grasslands, agriculture fields, and deserts. The pale undersides of their wings provide cryptic camouflage when seen from below during aerial hunting.
Identifying Features of White-Bellied Hawks
While the species mentioned above vary in size, proportions, and markings, they share some key features that aid in identification:
- Pale or white underside/underwings
- Darker upperparts (back, wings)
- Common in open habitats like fields, plains, deserts
- Soaring, gliding, or hovering hunting techniques
The white underside provides camouflage when the hawk is viewed from below. This makes it easier to sneak up on prey against the bright sky. The contrast between the dark back and light belly is also known as countershading. This help break up the hawk’s outline when viewed from the side or head-on.
Differences Between White-Bellied Hawk Species
While the hawks listed above all have pale underparts, there are some key differences that can help identify them:
| Species | Size | Shape | Legs | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-tailed Hawk | Large | Broad wings, short tail | Partially feathered | Wide across NA |
| Ferruginous Hawk | Very large | Broad wings and body | Fully feathered | Western NA |
| Rough-legged Hawk | Medium | Long, slender wings | Fully feathered | Northern NA in winter |
| Swainson’s Hawk | Medium | Long, pointed wings | Partially feathered | Western NA |
Plumage Differences
In addition to differences in size, proportions, and legs, the plumage patterns of these hawks also helps to distinguish them:
- Red-tailed Hawk – Bellyband across chest, dark patagial mark on underwing
- Ferruginous Hawk – Rufous back and shoulders, “mustache” mark
- Rough-legged Hawk – Dark wrist patches, may have bellyband
- Swainson’s Hawk – Dark head, bib streaking, rufous underparts
Behavioral Differences
Since habitat preferences and hunting styles differ among the white-bellied hawk species, observing their behavior can also aid identification:
- Red-tailed Hawks – Perch hunt and hover/kite over open areas
- Ferruginous Hawks – Ground perch and hover over prairies and grasslands
- Rough-legged Hawks – Specialize in hovering/kiting over open habitat
- Swainson’s Hawks – Migrate long distances in large flocks
Geographic Ranges
The ranges of these hawks can provide another clue to tell them apart when seen in the field:
- Red-tailed Hawks – Year-round across most of North America
- Ferruginous Hawks – Central plains of western North America
- Rough-legged Hawks – Breed in Arctic, winter across northern North America
- Swainson’s Hawks – Breed in western North America, winter in South America
So a white-bellied hawk seen in January in Minnesota is much more likely to be a Rough-legged Hawk rather than a Ferruginous Hawk. Checking the expected ranges for time of year can help narrow down possibilities.
Conclusion
Identifying hawks takes practice, but looking for the combination of size, shape, plumage patterns, behavior, habitat, and range for white-bellied species can help pinpoint which hawk you are observing. Red-tailed, Ferruginous, Rough-legged, and Swainson’s Hawks all share the trait of pale underparts but differ in their proportions, markings, flight styles, preferred habitats, migration patterns, and geographic distributions. Taking the time to observe carefully and note key characteristics will go a long way in telling these similar-looking raptors apart.
