# Short-tailed Hawk (*Buteo brachyurus*) The Short-tailed Hawk is a beautiful bird with a short tail and strong wings. It loves to soar high in the sky and can be seen gliding over forests and fields. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Forests ![Short-tailed Hawk](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Male_-_black_phase_-_short_tail_hawk.JPG&width=800) Photo: Original uploader was Amendezg at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Male_-_black_phase_-_short_tail_hawk.JPG) ## Appearance The Short-tailed Hawk is a medium-sized raptor with two main color forms: a dark morph that is almost entirely dark brown, and a light morph with white underparts and dark upperparts. Both morphs have a distinctive banded tail with a wide dark band near the tip. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Accipitriformes - **Family:** Accipitridae - **Genus:** Buteo ## Interesting facts - Some Short-tailed Hawks have light feathers, while others are almost completely dark! - These clever birds catch most of their food while diving from hundreds of feet up! - They're expert fliers, often hunting by soaring so high they look like tiny dots! - Unlike many raptors, they often hunt small, fast-moving birds right out of the air! ## Special abilities - **Sky Scanner:** Short-tailed Hawk has incredibly sharp eyesight that helps them spot tiny prey from very high up in the sky. - **Dive Bomb:** Short-tailed Hawk can fold its wings and dive rapidly to catch unsuspecting prey with amazing speed and precision. - **Thermal Rider:** Short-tailed Hawk uses warm air currents to soar effortlessly for hours, saving energy while searching for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 36-46 cm - **Wingspan:** 86-102 cm - **Weight:** 0.4-0.65 kg - **Lifespan:** 10-15 years - **Speed:** 120 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 2-3 - **Incubation:** 33-36 days ## Diet & Feeding These agile raptors mainly hunt small birds and rodents by diving swiftly from high in the sky. - **Primary Foods:** Small Passerine Birds, Mice, Volves, Lizards, Large Insects - **Foraging Method:** Pursuit ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** [American Robin](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-robin) (*Turdus migratorius*) — A favorite prey bird, often caught mid-flight. - **Hunts:** Cotton Mouse (*Peromyscus gossypinus*) — Hunts these common rodents in open woodland areas. - **Eaten by:** [Great Horned Owl](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-horned-owl) (*Bubo virginianus*) — Owls may prey on eggs or young in the nest. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Aerial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aerial): Aerial creatures spend a significant portion of their lives airborne, utilizing flight for various activities such as hunting, migration, or nesting. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Gliding](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/gliding): Gliding animals move through the air by launching themselves and maintaining flight with specialized body structures, without flapping wings. - [Forest](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/forest): Forest habitats are terrestrial environments dominated by dense tree cover, supporting a high diversity of plant and animal life. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Speedster](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/speedster): This trait identifies organisms that exhibit exceptional swiftness in movement for hunting, escape, or travel. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Always watch birds from a distance and never try to touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Short-tailed Hawk? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Short-tailed Hawk? 36-46 cm ### What is Short-tailed Hawk's wingspan? 86-102 cm ### How much does Short-tailed Hawk weigh? 0.4-0.65 kg ### How long does Short-tailed Hawk live? 10-15 years ### How fast can Short-tailed Hawk move? 120 km/h ### What does Short-tailed Hawk eat? These agile raptors mainly hunt small birds and rodents by diving swiftly from high in the sky. ### Where is Short-tailed Hawk usually found? Forests ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Short-tailed Hawk: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/short-tailed-hawk)