Red-tailed Hawk Calls and Sounds (2025) - Have you heard this raptor before? (ID Guide)

Today, you are going to learn how to EASILY identify the calls and sounds that a Red-tailed Hawk makes! My guess is that after listening, you will realize you have heard one before.

Red-tailed Hawk calls are a hoarse, raspy scream that descends in pitch. The call lasts 2 - 3 seconds. Personally, I think it’s one of the BEST sounds of ANY bird!

This call can be transcribed as “kree-eee-ar” or “tsee-eeee-arr”. Some people describe it as sounding similar to a steam whistle.

Red-tailed Hawk sounds are typically heard while soaring in the sky. They are most vocal and loudest when angry (who's not?), such as when a rival hawk or potential threat has entered their territory!

Interestingly, Red-tailed Hawk sounds are often used on television to replace Bald Eagle vocalizations, which helps make the eagle sound more intimidating. Despite their appearance, Bald Eagle calls are quite soft, chirpy, and weak.

Red-tailed Hawks are found almost EVERYWHERE in North America. They are common in every state (except Hawaii), province, and even most of Mexico!

These large raptors are often seen on long drives in the countryside, soaring in the sky or perched on a fence post. The plumage color of Red-tailed Hawks can be anything from nearly white to virtually black, so coloration is not a reliable indicator. The best way to identify them is by looking for their characteristic red tail or listening for their sounds and calls. :)

Red-tailed Hawks are highly adaptable, and there is no real description of their preferred habitats because they seem to be comfortable everywhere. I have seen Red-tailed Hawks in the deep backcountry in Yellowstone National Park to urban cities to my own suburban backyard in Ohio! Pick a habitat, such as pastures, parks, deserts, roadsides, rainforests, woodlands, fields, or scrublands, and you’ll find them thriving.

Credit for the recordings:
Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Recordists: Jay McGowan, Paul Marvin
Thank you!

Image(s) and/or Footage used under license from Shutterstock.com.