Short-tailed Hawk Identification

Fairly small hawk with broad wings and long secondaries giving curve to trailing edge of wing. Light morph has neat white underparts including throat and narrow bands in tail.

Dark morph has dark brown-black body and wing coverts. Flight feathers are barred white creating a checkered pattern. Tail has narrow white bands. In Florida, dark morphs individuals are more common than light morph.

Soars high up before diving on perched birds. Note broad, slightly raised wings (can resemble Turkey Vulture flight). Dark morph (more common in Florida) shows white barring/checkering in the flight feathers even at distance.

Fairly small hawk with contrast between dark brown upperparts and clean white underparts, including throat. At close range can show faint brown markings on the sides of the breast. Note narrow bands on tail, darkest at tip.

Fairly small hawk with dark brown upperparts, brown markings on sides of breast, and clean white underparts.

When perched, dark morph appears entirely sooty brown-black.

Fairly small hawk with broad wings and long, "bulging" secondaries. Juvenile dark morph is dark brown but strongly spotted or streaked with white.

Juvenile light morph is buffy white below and often shows buffy streaks on the cheek.

Juvenile light morphs are buffy white below, though the amount of buff is variable. Note buffy feathering on face, unlike adult. Short-tailed Hawks specialize in hunting birds.