Hawks in Illinois: Where to See Them and How to Identify Them

Hawks are common throughout Illinois. Red-tailed Hawks are the most frequently seen, often perched on roadside poles. Cooper's Hawks are common in wooded suburbs. During migration, Broad-winged and Sharp-shinned Hawks pass through in numbers. Check out the Illinois wildlife hub for more on local species.

In Illinois, hawks sightings usually improve when you slow down and match your first stop to where in the state sightings are most likely. Use the state wildlife hub and the route guide to narrow your first area, then check access, weather, and distance before you settle in. A short walk with one clear viewing plan often beats covering too much ground, especially when habitat changes fast from open edges to brush, wetlands, timber, shoreline, or neighborhood cover.

For consistent sightings, try the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois, where Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks breed. The Illinois River Valley near Peoria is a major migration corridor. In northern Illinois, the Moraine Hills State Park offers good woodland edge habitat. For migration counts, visit the Hawk Ridge site or watch from the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Most misses happen when people arrive at the wrong hour or expect nonstop activity. Build around best season or time of day, keep one backup area in mind, and use the animal facts page plus tour planning ideas to compare what a realistic outing looks like in Illinois. If movement slows, stay longer at one promising spot, listen for calls or watch for edge movement, and reset around weather, light, water, or feeding changes instead of jumping to a totally new area too early.

Spring (March-April) and fall (September-October) bring the highest numbers as hawks migrate. Mornings are best, especially after a cold front when thermals form. In summer, early morning and late afternoon are productive. Winter can be good near open water or fields where hawks hunt.

See our state animal guide for the next step.

Start with size and wing shape. Red-tailed Hawks are large with broad, rounded wings and a short, fan-shaped tail. Cooper's Hawks are medium sized with longer, rounded wings and a long rounded tail with thick bands. Compare with similar species like the American Kestrel (small, pointed wings) or the Turkey Vulture (teardrop wing shape, rocks in flight). See our hawk identification guide for more details.

Falcons (like the Peregrine) have long, pointed wings and a fast, direct flight. Hawks have broader, rounded wings and often soar. Falcons have a distinct head shape with a short beak and mustache mark. In Illinois, you are far more likely to see a Red-tailed Hawk (broad wings) than a Peregrine Falcon.