Types of Hawks in Alabama: A Complete Guide
Alabama is home to several types of hawks, most commonly the red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, Cooper’s hawk, sharp-shinned hawk, and broad-winged hawk. These birds of prey can be seen soaring over the state’s forests, farmland, and coastal areas, perched along highways, or hunting in backyards. This guide covers how many hawks live in Alabama, the common species, how to tell them apart, where to see them, and when they are most active.
| Hawk | Key Features in Alabama |
|---|---|
| Red-tailed Hawk | Most common, red tail, soars |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Woodlands, reddish barring |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Backyards, hunts birds |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Small, hunts songbirds |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Summer, migrates in kettles |
| Mississippi Kite | Slim, gray, summer visitor |
| Northern Harrier | Marshes, low flight, white rump |
How Many Types of Hawks Live in Alabama?
Alabama hosts several species of hawks throughout the year, some as year-round residents and others as seasonal migrants or summer breeders. The most common and widespread is the red-tailed hawk, frequently seen perched along highways and soaring over open country. Other regularly occurring hawks include the red-shouldered hawk of the woodlands, the two bird-hunting accipiters, Cooper’s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk, and the broad-winged hawk that breeds in summer and migrates in spectacular flocks. The graceful Mississippi kite, a slim gray raptor, breeds in Alabama in summer, and the northern harrier courses low over marshes and fields, mainly in winter. Hawks are birds of prey with keen eyesight, hooked bills, and strong talons, and they play an important role in controlling rodents and other small animals. Alabama’s mix of forests, farmland, and Gulf coastal areas supports this variety. Understanding the hawks of Alabama begins with these species, part of the wider group covered in our guide to types of hawks.
Common Hawks in Alabama
Several hawks are especially common in Alabama and worth knowing. The red-tailed hawk is the most familiar, a large, broad-winged hawk with, in adults, a brick-red tail, often seen perched on poles and trees along roadsides or soaring in wide circles. The red-shouldered hawk is a woodland hawk with reddish barred underparts and boldly banded wings and tail, common in Alabama’s forests and swamps and often heard giving its loud calls. The Cooper’s hawk is a medium-sized, bird-hunting hawk that frequently visits backyards and bird feeders in pursuit of songbirds, while the very similar but smaller sharp-shinned hawk also hunts small birds. The broad-winged hawk is a small, stocky forest hawk that breeds in Alabama in summer and migrates south in large swirling flocks called kettles. The Mississippi kite is a slender, graceful gray raptor that catches insects in flight and breeds in the state in summer. Each of these hawks has its own look and habits, as explored in our guide to types of hawks in Georgia.
How to Tell Alabama Hawks Apart
Telling Alabama’s hawks apart is easier when you use size, shape, and behavior. Start with size and shape, since the buteos like the red-tailed and red-shouldered hawks are large and broad-winged, built for soaring, while the accipiters like Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks are slimmer with shorter, rounded wings and long tails, built for chasing birds through cover. The Mississippi kite is slim and falcon-like with pointed wings. Look for key field marks, such as the red-tailed hawk’s red tail, the red-shouldered hawk’s reddish barring and banded tail, and the harrier’s white rump and low, tilting flight. Behavior and habitat help, since the red-tailed hawk soars over open country and perches conspicuously, the red-shouldered hawk favors woods and calls loudly, the accipiters dash after birds and visit feeders, and the kite catches insects gracefully in the air. Season matters too, since the kite and broad-winged hawk are summer breeders. By combining size, shape, field marks, and behavior, you can identify Alabama’s hawks, as explored in our guide to types of hawks in Tennessee.
Where to See Hawks in Alabama
Hawks can be seen throughout Alabama in a variety of habitats, from open farmland to forests, swamps, and coastal areas. The red-tailed hawk is often spotted perched on utility poles, fence posts, and trees along highways and over agricultural fields, making it one of the easiest hawks to observe. The red-shouldered and broad-winged hawks favor wooded areas, river corridors, swamps, and forests, while Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks are frequently seen in wooded neighborhoods, parks, and around backyard feeders. The Mississippi kite is seen over woodlands, towns, and river areas in summer, often in graceful groups, and the northern harrier hunts over marshes and open fields in winter. Alabama’s Gulf coast is an important area for migrating raptors in fall, and the state sees impressive movements of broad-winged hawks. Parks, wildlife refuges, and nature preserves throughout Alabama provide excellent hawk habitat. Because hawks are widespread and often perch in the open or soar overhead, they are among the most visible birds of prey in the state, as detailed in our guide to types of falcons.
When Hawks Are Most Active in Alabama
The best times to see hawks in Alabama depend on the species and the season. Year-round residents like the red-tailed hawk, red-shouldered hawk, and Cooper’s hawk can be seen in every season, though they are often especially conspicuous in late fall and winter when leaves are off the trees and the birds perch in the open. Summer brings breeding raptors like the Mississippi kite and broad-winged hawk, the kite often seen catching insects in graceful flight. Fall migration, roughly from September into November, is a spectacular time for hawk watching, when many hawks, most notably broad-winged hawks in September, stream south in large numbers, sometimes forming huge kettles of circling birds, and Alabama’s Gulf coast concentrates migrants. Winter brings visitors such as the northern harrier. During the day, hawks are most active when rising warm air, called thermals, helps them soar, so mid-morning through afternoon on clear days is often productive. By timing your outings to the seasons and the daily thermals, you can enjoy Alabama’s hawks, as reflected in our guide to bird symbolism.
The Red-tailed Hawk, Alabama’s Most Familiar Raptor
The red-tailed hawk deserves special attention as the hawk most Alabamians encounter. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the red-tailed hawk is one of the most common and widespread hawks in North America, often seen perched along roadsides or soaring over open country. In Alabama, this large buteo is a familiar sight throughout the year, frequently spotted atop utility poles, fence posts, and tall trees along highways, where it watches for the rodents and other small animals that make up much of its diet. Its broad, rounded wings are ideal for soaring in wide circles on rising warm air, and adults show the distinctive brick-red tail that gives the species its name, though young birds have a brown, banded tail. The red-tailed hawk’s loud, raspy scream is so iconic that it is often used in movies for other birds. Its abundance and conspicuous perching make it the classic Alabama hawk, providing a foundation for recognizing the state’s other raptors, as explored in our guide to types of hawks.
Appreciating Alabama’s Hawks
Alabama’s hawks are a rewarding group to appreciate, both for their beauty and for their role in nature. As predators, hawks help keep populations of rodents and other small animals in balance, playing an important part in healthy ecosystems across the state’s forests, farmland, and coastal areas. Learning to recognize the common hawks, from the soaring red-tailed hawk to the graceful Mississippi kite of summer, adds a rewarding dimension to time spent outdoors, whether watching from a country road, a forest edge, or the Gulf coast. Alabama’s coast offers a chance to see raptors moving through in fall, especially broad-winged hawks. Taking the time to observe hawks, note their shapes and behaviors, and enjoy their mastery of the air deepens the pleasure of birding in Alabama, connecting observers to the wider world of raptors.
Related reading: backyard birds of Alabama.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common hawk in Alabama?
The red-tailed hawk is the most common and widespread hawk in Alabama, a large bird often seen perched along highways or soaring over open fields and farmland.
What hawk hunts birds at feeders in Alabama?
Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks hunt songbirds at backyard feeders in Alabama. These bird-hunting hawks are drawn to the concentration of prey that feeders provide.
How many types of hawks are in Alabama?
Alabama hosts several hawk species, including the red-tailed, red-shouldered, Cooper’s, sharp-shinned, and broad-winged hawks, the Mississippi kite, and the northern harrier.
What slim gray raptor is seen in Alabama in summer?
The Mississippi kite is a slim, graceful gray raptor seen in Alabama in summer, often catching insects in flight over woodlands, towns, and river areas.
How do you tell Alabama hawks apart?
Use size, shape, and behavior. Buteos like the red-tailed hawk are broad-winged and soar, while accipiters like Cooper’s hawk are slim with long tails and hunt birds.
When is the best time to see hawks in Alabama?
Fall migration from September into November is spectacular, especially for broad-winged hawks. Year-round hawks are easy to see in winter, and kites arrive in summer.
Where can you see hawks in Alabama?
Hawks are seen along highways, over farmland, in forests and swamps, around backyard feeders, over marshes, and along the Gulf coast during fall migration.
