Harris's Hawk

Harris's Hawk is a distinctive raptor of deserts and semi-open country from the southwestern United States through Mexico, Central America, and into South America. It is well known among raptor enthusiasts for its unusual cooperative hunting behavior, working in small family groups to flush and capture prey.

Its plumage is a deep chestnut-brown overall, with brighter chestnut patches on the shoulders (lesser coverts) and thighs, set against otherwise dark body feathers.

The tail shows a bold pattern of a white base, broad black band, and white tip, which is one of the more reliable feather clues for this species even from a single tail feather.

Shape and Size

Wings are broad and rounded, tail moderately long, in keeping with a hawk adapted to maneuvering through desert scrub and around obstacles while hunting.

Color and Pattern

• Body and covert feathers: dark chestnut-brown
• Shoulder (lesser upperwing covert) feathers: bright chestnut, forming a patch
• Thigh feathers: chestnut
• Tail feathers: white base, broad black band, white tip
• Undertail covert feathers: white
• Shafts: dark on body feathers

Distinguishing from Similar Species

The tail pattern of white base, black band, and white tip is distinctive from most other American hawks, which typically show multiple narrow bands rather than this bold single-band pattern; the chestnut shoulder and thigh patches against dark brown body feathers further confirm the species.

Adults show dark chestnut-brown body plumage with chestnut shoulder and thigh patches and a white-black-white tail pattern; sexes look alike, though females average larger. Juveniles are more heavily streaked below with buffy tones and a less bold tail pattern, gaining full adult plumage within a couple of years.

Molt occurs on a roughly annual cycle outside the breeding season.

Found in desert, scrub, mesquite woodland, and semi-open country from Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas through Mexico, Central America, and into parts of South America.

Most populations are resident year-round within their territories.

Notable among raptors for cooperative, pack-like hunting, with small groups of related birds working together to flush and capture rabbits and other prey, sometimes even stacking on top of each other on a single perch ("backstacking").

Nests in trees, large cacti, or on structures, often with helper birds from previous broods assisting at the nest. Calls include harsh, raspy screams.

A dark chestnut-brown feather with a bright chestnut shoulder patch, or a tail feather with a bold white-black-white pattern, found in desert or scrub habitat of the southwestern Americas, points to this species.