The Christmas Bird Count began on Christmas Day, 1900. In it, each circle counts as many birds as possible on one day, and the data are compiled and used to learn about long-term bird trends. As of November 2026, the count has thousands of bird circles across all 50 states and many other countries, and Audubon's page for the red-tailed hawk uses more than a century of its data to chart how the hawk's relative abundance has shifted over time. As of November 2026, the red-tailed hawk has apparently increased in some areas since the 1960s, and its numbers are stable or still increasing, while Montana's field guide said as of October 2025 that populations appear stable or increasing. A U.S. Forest Service review says populations have increased over much of their range because forests were broken into small woodlots with more woodland edge.

Red-tailed hawks usually nest in a tall tree in or at the edge of woodlands, and they have learned to nest in cities, where urban birds nest within just a few blocks of each other, while rural birds generally hold a territory of about two square miles. As of May 2026, dozens of pairs of red-tailed hawks nest each spring in New York City parks, on building ledges, in sports field lights and atop monuments, and they have established themselves in all five boroughs of New York City. Pale Male was one of the first red-tailed hawks ever observed nesting on a building.

Seven subspecies of the red-tailed hawk are recognized in North America, according to a U.S. Forest Service review, while Animal Diversity Web says there are at least 14 subspecies of Buteo jamaicensis. Red-tailed hawk subspecies are separated by their color and by where they breed and spend the winter. Red-tailed hawks come in many colors, from nearly white to black, and many have a lighter belly with a dark band across it. A red-tailed hawk is named for the reddish color of its tail, and young red-tailed hawks do not get red tail feathers until the start of their second year.

Red-tailed hawks live across North America and into Central America, in many kinds of places, including deserts, plains, woodlands and rain forests. Red-tailed hawks from the far north fly south for the winter, while many others stay in one place all year. Red-tailed hawks migrate as individuals, and some established breeders, especially in the southern United States, stay on or near their territories all year. Birds that live in Canada and Alaska migrate as far south as Panama in winter and return to their home range as the weather warms.

A U.S. Forest Service review says red-tailed hawks are generally sexually mature at 2 years of age, while red-tailed hawks usually begin breeding at about three years old. Red-tailed hawks may mate for life, and a pair uses the same nest year after year. A female lays one to five eggs, though the same review says they lay two to four eggs, with three most common, and the eggs are kept warm for 28 to 35 days before they hatch. Both parents care for their chicks, and young red-tailed hawks leave the nest after 42 to 46 days and become completely independent from their parents about 10 weeks after fledging. Adult red-tailed hawks tend to keep the same territory for their whole life.

Words to know

• subspecies: a regional type
• boroughs: city districts
• compiled: gathered together
• abundance: how many
• woodlots: small woods
• fledging: first flight