Ferruginous hawk
| Ferruginous Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Sub-order | Accipitres |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Accipitroidea |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Sub-family | Buteoninae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Buteo |
| Species Information | |
| Species | B. regalis |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | Unknown (2016 est.)[1] |
| Conservation status | Least concern[2] |
The ferruginous hawk (Buteo regalis) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found throughout much of western North America.
Description
The ferruginous hawk is large - in fact, the largest buteonine hawk in North America - with a length of 20 to 27 inches, a wingspan of 48 to 60 inches, and weigh 2 to 5 pounds. Hawks of northern areas are somewhat larger on average than those found in southern or desert areas; females are slightly larger than males.
The name ferruginous comes from the Latin ferrugo, which means "iron rust"[3], and refers to the rust-colored head, back, and tail of the bird's plumage. The chest, belly, and underwings are lighter in color, with some light-rust mottling and bands on the belly and underwing coverts. A dark-morph coloration exists, with the majority of the bird dark-brown in color, and lighter only on the underside of the primaries, secondaries, and tail feathers.
Range and habitat
This species is found in North America, from Alberta and Saskatchewan in Canada, south to the southern Mexican state of Morelos, and from the western Great Plains to the California coast. A sedentary, year-round population lives principally in the states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona, with birds north of that area migrating south. It is an open-country bird, primarily found in prairies, open grasslands, sagebrush steppe, scrubland, and semi-arid deserts.
