General Description: Ferruginous Hawks (Buteo regalis) are large, pale hawks with light and dark forms. In either case, look for the long white tail and red feathers on the legs that extend to the toes. In flight, the wings are more pointed than other hawks, and the mouth is extremely large for a hawk.

In this pale form, the head and body are light, the wings are red above, and the pantaloons are red. The open wings are light underneath with dark armpits and dark feather tips.

In the dark form, the birds are mostly black, except for the tail and the underside of the primary flight feathers are white.

Taxonomy: Accipitriformes, Accipitridae.

Favored Habitat: Open grasslands and badlands in the western half of the U.S.

Where to Find: Around Las Vegas, Ferruginous Hawks are uncommon, look for them during migration and during winter in places with open grasslands like the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge and Pahranagat Valley north of there. They migrate through the Las Vegas area, so always keep an eye out for them. These hawks are fairly common in the central valley of California.

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