13 Types of Hawks in Washington

What are the most common types of hawks in Washington?

The most commonly spotted hawks in Washington are the Red-tailed Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Northern Harrier. Red-tailed Hawks are frequently seen perched along highways and in open country and are by far the easiest to find statewide. Cooper's and Sharp-shinned Hawks are woodland accipiters often found near bird feeders, where they hunt the smaller birds. Northern Harriers glide low over marshes and grasslands with a distinctive teetering, wings-up flight.

In Washington, hawk sightings usually improve when you slow down and match your first stop to the most useful ID markers and likely lookalikes. Use thestate wildlife huband theroute guideto 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. East of the Cascades the open-country species multiply, so plan around farmland and sagebrush if you want variety in one trip.

What is the difference between a buteo and an accipiter hawk?

Washington's hawks sort cleanly into two groups, and learning the split makes every later identification faster. Buteos are the broad-winged, short-tailed soaring hawks of open country. They circle high on thermals, perch on poles and fence posts, and hunt rodents in fields. The Red-tailed, Rough-legged, Swainson's, and Ferruginous Hawks are all buteos.

Accipiters are the long-tailed, short-winged forest hawks built for chasing birds through trees. They fly with a flap-flap-glide rhythm and rarely soar for long. The Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Northern Goshawk are Washington's three accipiters. The Northern Harrier sits outside both groups, with its long wings, long tail, and owl-like face for hunting by sound over marshes.

So when you see a hawk, the first question is the silhouette. Broad wings circling over a field point to a buteo. A long tail flicking through woods or past a feeder points to an accipiter. That one decision narrows your candidates before you even reach for field marks.

How can you tell a Cooper's Hawk from a Sharp-shinned Hawk?

Cooper's Hawks are larger, with a rounded tail and a more prominent head projection past the wings in flight. Sharp-shinned Hawks have a square-tipped or notched tail and a smaller, more compact head that barely projects. In flight, Cooper's flaps are slower and more deliberate, while a Sharp-shinned looks quicker and more buoyant. Size is the easiest clue: a Cooper's is about crow-sized, while a Sharp-shinned is jay-sized, though female Sharp-shinneds and male Cooper's overlap enough to fool everyone occasionally.

One more tell is the head. A perched Cooper's has a flat-topped crown and a clear dark cap that contrasts with a paler nape. A Sharp-shinned looks rounder-headed with a hooded look that blends into the back. When both visit feeders in fall, watch how the bird carries itself: the Cooper's looks long and steady, the Sharp-shinned small and twitchy.

What are the open-country buteo hawks of Washington?

Washington's buteos are the hawks you scan for over fields, sagebrush, and farmland. The Red-tailed Hawk is the year-round default, common on both sides of the Cascades, with a rusty tail in adults and a dark belly band. The Rough-legged Hawk arrives from the Arctic in winter, roughly November to March, and hovers over open lowlands with dark wrist patches and a pale tail tipped in black.

The Swainson's Hawk is a summer breeder in eastern Washington grasslands, slimmer than a Red-tailed with a dark chest bib and long, pointed wings held in a shallow V when soaring. It migrates all the way to South America, so you only see it from roughly April through September. The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest and rarest of the group, a sensitive species nesting in shrub-steppe of the Columbia Basin, pale below with rusty legs that form a dark V against the belly in flight.

West of the Cascades the buteo list mostly shrinks to Red-tailed plus wintering Rough-leggeds, so a summer trip east of the mountains is the way to add Swainson's and Ferruginous to a single outing.

Where and when should you look for hawks in Washington?

For Red-tailed Hawks, check open farmland and highway corridors year-round; they are the one species you can almost always find. Cooper's and Sharp-shinned are best observed in wooded suburbs and parks, especially during fall migration in September and October when they pass through in numbers. Northern Harriers prefer wetlands and agricultural fields in winter, quartering low over the Skagit and Samish flats.

For the eastern specialties, drive the Columbia Basin and Palouse from late spring through summer for Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks. Rough-legged Hawks fill the same open lowlands in winter. Early morning and late afternoon offer the best activity, and warm midday hours are good for watching buteos rise on thermals.

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Does Washington have Northern Goshawks and eastern hawk species?

Yes. The Northern Goshawk is Washington's largest and most secretive accipiter, a powerful gray-and-white forest hawk of older conifer stands in the Cascades, Blue Mountains, and Okanogan highlands. It is uncommon and hard to find, usually detected near a nesting territory in spring or as a fierce defender of its woods. Adults show a bold white eyebrow stripe and a pale gray chest, while young birds are brown and streaky and easy to confuse with a big Cooper's.

Eastern Washington also holds species you rarely see on the wet west side. Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks breed in the dry grasslands and shrub-steppe in summer. The Red-shouldered Hawk is a southern species that turns up rarely in southwest Washington, mostly near the lower Columbia, and any report is worth documenting. Rough-legged Hawks are a winter visitor across the open east.

If you want the full range of kinds in one season, the contrast is simple: the rainy west gives you Red-tailed, the accipiters, and Harriers, while the dry east opens the door to Swainson's, Ferruginous, Goshawk country, and wintering Rough-leggeds.

What field marks should you focus on for confident identification?

Focus on tail shape, wing proportions, and belly pattern. Red-tailed Hawks have a distinctive rusty tail in adults and a dark belly band across a pale chest. Cooper's have a long, rounded tail with thick dark bands. Sharp-shinned have a short, square tail with thin bands. Northern Harriers have an owl-like face and a bright white rump patch visible in flight.

For the buteos in flight, read the underwing. Rough-legged Hawks show black wrist commas and a pale tail with a dark band. Swainson's have dark flight feathers that contrast with paler wing linings, the reverse of most hawks. Ferruginous Hawks look very pale with rusty leggings forming a V. Building the habit of checking tail, then wings, then belly will carry you through almost every Washington hawk.

Are there any rare hawk species to watch for?

Yes, keep an eye out for the Ferruginous Hawk in eastern Washington grasslands, especially in summer, where it is a state sensitive species worth reporting. Swainson's Hawks breed in the dry east and pass through on migration but are absent in winter. Rough-legged Hawks winter in open areas from November to March. Red-shouldered Hawks are rare but have been reported in southwest Washington, mostly near the lower Columbia. The Northern Goshawk is rare and local in mature mountain forests and is one of the harder species to pin down.

What gear or reminders can help with hawk identification?

A good field guide or binoculars (8x42) make a big difference. For quick reference, many birders carry a laminated cheat sheet of silhouettes. If you want to celebrate your sightings, check out theHawks identification pagefor tips or browsebird-themed art printslater. On trips, a notebook helps track field marks.

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What is the best season for hawk watching in Washington?

Fall migration in September and October is peak for seeing multiple species, especially at hawk watches and along ridgelines whereWashington's hawk migration sitesconcentrate passing birds. Spring from April through May offers returning breeders, including Swainson's Hawks arriving in the east, and good photo opportunities. Winter is prime for Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks in lowlands and for Northern Harriers over the coastal flats. Summer is the only window for Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks, so pick your season around the kinds you most want to see.

Travel planning for hawk watching in Washington

Consider visiting the Skagit Valley or the Columbia Basin for open-country species. The Skagit and Samish flats are reliable in winter for Red-tailed Hawks and Northern Harriers, while the Columbia Basin and Palouse deliver Swainson's and Ferruginous Hawks in summer. The Cascade foothills and mature conifer forests are your best bet for accipiters, including the elusive Northern Goshawk. Use the interactive tool below to find specific sites and recent sightings.

Frequently asked questions about Washington hawks

**How many types of hawks are in Washington?** Washington reliably hosts about eight to ten hawk species, including Red-tailed, Cooper's, Sharp-shinned, Northern Harrier, Rough-legged, Swainson's, Ferruginous, and Northern Goshawk, with Red-shouldered as a rare visitor.

**Do hawks stay in Washington year-round?** Yes, Red-tailed Hawks and Cooper's Hawks are permanent residents; Swainson's and Rough-legged are seasonal, and others move with migration.

**What is the largest hawk in Washington?** The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest by size, while the familiar Red-tailed Hawk has a wingspan up to 56 inches and is the one most people see.

**Can I attract hawks to my yard?** Not directly, but providing habitat for small birds and rodents may attract Cooper's or Sharp-shinned Hawks hunting them.

**Are there any hawk watching events?** Yes, the Washington Ornithological Society and local Audubon chapters host fall hawk watches across the state.

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