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

The most reliable spots include the Shenandoah National Park Skyline Drive, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and coastal areas like Chincoteague and the Eastern Shore. Hawk watches at Snickers Gap and Rockfish Gap report high counts during migration. Farmland and open fields in the Piedmont also attract red-tailed hawks and kestrels.

Fall migration (September through November) is prime time, with large numbers of broad-winged hawks and sharp-shinned hawks moving south. Early morning (7am to 10am) after a cold front offers the best odds as rising thermals lift hawks into view. Spring migration (March to May) is also productive but less crowded.

Start with size and shape. Red-tailed hawks are chunky with a belly band and a reddish tail. Red-shouldered hawks have a black-and-white checkered back and a translucent crescent in the wing. Cooper's hawks are medium with a rounded tail and a dark cap; sharp-shinned hawks are smaller with a square tail. Use a field guide for finer distinctions.

See our state animal guide for the next step.

Red-tailed hawks adapt to open country, roadsides, and forest edges. Red-shouldered hawks stick to swamps, bottomland woods, and rivers. Cooper's hawks hunt in suburban backyards and mixed forests. Broad-winged hawks live in dense deciduous forests. To learn more, check our animal hub for hawks for species profiles.

Yes, the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (Waynesboro) and Harvey's Knob Hawk Watch (Roanoke) are volunteer-run counting stations. Snickers Gap near Bluemont also hosts a fall count. These sites have counters from late August through November. For more Virginia birding spots, visit our wildlife guide to Virginia.