Types of Hawks in Florida: A Complete Guide
Florida is home to several types of hawks, most commonly the red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, Cooper’s hawk, and sharp-shinned hawk, along with the Florida specialty short-tailed hawk. These birds of prey can be seen soaring over the state’s forests, wetlands, and open country, or perched along roadsides. This guide covers how many hawks live in Florida, the common species, how to tell them apart, where to see them, and when they are most active.
| Hawk | Key Features in Florida |
|---|---|
| Red-shouldered Hawk | Most common, reddish barring |
| Red-tailed Hawk | Large, red tail, soars |
| Cooper’s Hawk | Backyards, hunts birds |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | Small, hunts songbirds |
| Broad-winged Hawk | Migrates in kettles |
| Short-tailed Hawk | Florida specialty, soars high |
| Northern Harrier | Marshes, low flight, white rump |
How Many Types of Hawks Live in Florida?
Florida hosts several species of hawks throughout the year, some as year-round residents and others as seasonal migrants or winter visitors. The most common and widespread is the red-shouldered hawk, an especially abundant hawk in Florida’s wooded and suburban areas, frequently heard giving its loud, distinctive call. Other regularly occurring hawks include the large red-tailed hawk, the two bird-hunting accipiters, Cooper’s hawk and the sharp-shinned hawk, and the broad-winged hawk that migrates in spectacular flocks. Florida also has the short-tailed hawk, a specialty found in few other parts of the United States, along with the northern harrier that courses low over marshes. 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. Florida’s forests, wetlands, and open country support this variety, and understanding it begins with these species, part of the wider group covered in our guide to types of hawks.
Common Hawks in Florida
Several hawks are especially common in Florida and worth knowing. The red-shouldered hawk is the most familiar, a medium-sized hawk with reddish barred underparts and boldly banded wings and tail, extremely common in Florida’s woodlands, swamps, and suburbs, and often heard giving its loud, repeated call. The red-tailed hawk is a large, broad-winged hawk with, in adults, a brick-red tail, often seen perched along highways or soaring in wide circles. 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 migrates through in large swirling flocks called kettles, and the short-tailed hawk is a Florida specialty that soars high overhead in light and dark forms. The northern harrier flies low over marshes with its wings raised, showing a white rump patch. Each of these hawks has its own look and habits, as explored in our guide to types of owls in Florida.
How to Tell Florida Hawks Apart
Telling Florida’s hawks apart is easier when you use size, shape, and behavior. Start with size and shape, since the buteos like the red-shouldered and red-tailed hawks are 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. Look for key field marks, such as the red-shouldered hawk’s reddish barring and banded tail, the red-tailed hawk’s red tail, and the harrier’s white rump and low, tilting flight. The short-tailed hawk soars high and comes in light and dark forms. Behavior and habitat help, since the red-shouldered hawk favors woods and suburbs and calls loudly, the accipiters dash after birds and visit feeders, and the harrier hunts low over marshes. Season matters too, since some hawks are more numerous in winter. By combining size, shape, field marks, behavior, and season, you can identify Florida’s hawks, as explored in our guide to types of hawks in Ohio.
Where to See Hawks in Florida
Hawks can be seen throughout Florida in a variety of habitats, from wooded suburbs to wetlands and open country. The red-shouldered hawk is common in woodlands, swamps, hammocks, and suburban areas across the state, making it one of the easiest hawks to observe, often perched at the edge of woods or calling overhead. The red-tailed hawk is often spotted perched on poles and trees along highways and over open fields, while Cooper’s and sharp-shinned hawks are frequently seen in wooded neighborhoods, parks, and around backyard feeders. The short-tailed hawk soars over forests and edges, especially in central and southern Florida, and the northern harrier hunts over marshes, prairies, and wet fields, mainly in winter. Florida’s many parks, wildlife refuges, and natural areas offer excellent hawk watching, and the state is also a major corridor for migrating raptors in fall. 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 Florida
The best times to see hawks in Florida depend on the species and the season. Year-round residents like the red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, and Cooper’s hawk can be seen in every season, with the red-shouldered hawk especially vocal and conspicuous during the breeding season in late winter and spring. Winter brings additional visitors and increased numbers of some hawks, such as the northern harrier and wintering accipiters, as birds move south into Florida’s mild climate. Fall migration, roughly from September into November, is a spectacular time for hawk watching, when many hawks, including broad-winged hawks, stream through the state, sometimes forming large kettles of circling birds, and Florida’s peninsula funnels migrants southward. 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 Florida’s hawks, as reflected in our guide to bird symbolism.
The Red-shouldered Hawk, Florida’s Most Familiar Hawk
The red-shouldered hawk deserves special attention as the hawk most Floridians encounter. According to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the red-shouldered hawk is a common hawk of woodlands and wooded suburbs known for its loud, distinctive call. In Florida, this medium-sized buteo is especially abundant, more so than in many other states, and it is a familiar sight and sound in hammocks, swamps, forests, and suburban neighborhoods across the peninsula, often perched at the edge of the woods or calling loudly overhead. Its reddish barred underparts, boldly banded black-and-white wings and tail, and reddish shoulders make it handsome and recognizable. The red-shouldered hawk’s loud, repeated call is so distinctive that blue jays often imitate it. It hunts a variety of prey, from small mammals and reptiles to amphibians, well suited to Florida’s wetlands. Because it is so common and vocal, the red-shouldered hawk is the classic Florida hawk, providing a foundation for recognizing the state’s other raptors, as explored in our guide to types of hawks.
Appreciating Florida’s Hawks
Florida’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, wetlands, and suburbs. Learning to recognize the common hawks, from the loud, abundant red-shouldered hawk to the bird-hunting Cooper’s hawk and the Florida specialty short-tailed hawk, adds a rewarding dimension to time spent outdoors, whether watching from a boardwalk over a swamp or spotting a soaring bird overhead. Florida’s role as a migration corridor also offers a chance to see raptors moving through in fall. Taking the time to observe hawks, note their shapes and behaviors, and enjoy their mastery of the air deepens the pleasure of birding in Florida, connecting observers to the wider world of raptors.
Related reading: Types of Woodpeckers in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common hawk in Florida?
The red-shouldered hawk is the most common hawk in Florida, a medium-sized hawk with reddish barring, abundant in woodlands and suburbs and often heard giving its loud call.
What hawk hunts birds at feeders in Florida?
Cooper’s hawks and sharp-shinned hawks hunt songbirds at backyard feeders in Florida. These bird-hunting hawks are drawn to the concentration of prey that feeders provide.
How many types of hawks are in Florida?
Florida hosts several hawk species, including the red-shouldered, red-tailed, Cooper’s, sharp-shinned, broad-winged, and short-tailed hawks, plus the northern harrier.
What hawk is unique to Florida?
The short-tailed hawk is a Florida specialty found in few other parts of the United States. It soars high overhead and occurs in both light and dark color forms.
How do you tell Florida hawks apart?
Use size, shape, and behavior. Buteos like the red-shouldered 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 Florida?
Year-round hawks like the red-shouldered are always present, winter brings more visitors, and fall migration from September into November is spectacular for broad-winged hawks.
Where can you see hawks in Florida?
Hawks are seen in woodlands, swamps, and suburbs, along highways, over marshes and prairies, around backyard feeders, and at migration corridors across Florida.
