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Zone-tailed Hawk

Buteo albonotatusOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)
Codes: Common Name: ZTHA Scientific Name: BUTALN ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175368
Least Concern
 
Zone-tailed Hawk
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Overview

Zone-tailed Hawk: Large hawk, mostly black except for barred flight feathers, black-and-white banded tail. Eye-rings are gray. Bill, legs are yellow. Circles like a turkey vulture. Eats small rodents, birds. Soars and glides on thermals with wings lifted slightly above back, tilts from side to side.

Range and Habitat

Zone-tailed Hawk: Breeds from northern South America to Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where it is partially migratory. Strays reported from California and Nevada. Preferred habitats include deep, rough, and rocky wooded canyons and tree-lined rivers near mountains, valleys, or other "rugged" areas; hunts in open spaces such as desert grasslands or sparse forests.

Topo Map: Hawk-like Body


Listen to Call

Voice Text

No data available.

Interesting Facts

 The Zone-tailed Hawk is believed to mimic the V-shaped wing pattern of Turkey Vultures, taking advantage of prey that is desensitized to the presence of vultures.

 They can spot and capture prey from up to 105 meters above the ground.

 They engage in spectacular courtship displays, performing aerial loops, dives, and rolls. at heights of up to 500 meters.

 A group of hawks has many collective nouns, including a "boil", "knot", "spiraling", "stream", and "tower" of hawks.


Bird Term Glossary



Author

Gary Owen Dick

Artist

Irina Rud-Volga

Splitbar
Range Map for Zone-tailed Hawk

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Family Hawk (Accipitridae)_blue
Species Buteo albonotatus
Length18 - 21 Inches
Wingspan50 Inches

Zone-tailed Hawk

Zone-tailed Hawk: Large hawk, mostly black except for barred flight feathers, black-and-white banded tail. Eye-rings are gray. Bill, legs are yellow. Circles like a turkey vulture. Eats small rodents, birds. Soars and glides on thermals with wings lifted slightly above back, tilts from side to side.

● Song: No data available.

● Foraging & Feeding: Zone-tailed Hawk: Feeds primarily on quail, small birds, lizards, small fish, and frogs; also eats large insects and small mammals. Soars and glides in circles when searching for food.

● Breeding & nesting: Zone-tailed Hawk: One to three white to pale blue eggs, often spotted with brown, are laid in a large, loose nest made of sticks built in a large tree, 25 to 100 feet above the ground. Eggs are incubated primarily by the female for 35 days. Young fly in 6 to 7 weeks.

● Similar species: Zone-tailed Hawk: Turkey Vulture lacks tail bands and has no bars on flight feathers.

Flight Pattern

Soars on thermals., Flapping and gliding flight.
Zone-tailed Hawk Body Illustration
● Range & Habitat: Zone-tailed Hawk: Breeds from northern South America to Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico, where it is partially migratory. Strays reported from California and Nevada. Preferred habitats include deep, rough, and rocky wooded canyons and tree-lined rivers near mountains, valleys, or other "rugged" areas; hunts in open spaces such as desert grasslands or sparse forests.
BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester
PopulationYes but uncommon
MigrationMigratory
Weight22.4 Ounces
Hawk-like BodyX
Flight feathersX
Located on the wing, and collectively called remiges (singular, remex). The long stiff feathers are subdivided into two major groups based on the location and are called primaries and secondaries.
4 and 6 letter alpha codesX

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

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ITIS CodesX

The Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) was established in the mid-1990�s as a cooperative project among several federal agencies to improve and expand upon taxonomic data (known as the NODC Taxonomic Code) maintained by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To find the ITIS page for a bird species go to the ITIS web site advanced search and report page at http://www.itis.gov/advanced_search.html. You can enter the TSN or the common name of the bird. It will return the ITIS page for that bird. Another way to obtain the ITIS page is to use the Google search engine. Enter the string ITIS followed by the taxonomic ID, for example "ITIS 178041" will return the page for the Allen's Hummingbird.

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Parts of a Standing birdX
Head Feathers and MarkingsX
Parts of a Flying birdX