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Manatee County

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Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo Brachyurus)

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Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo Brachyurus)

Name

Short-tailed Hawk

Scientific Name

(Buteo Brachyurus)

Why they are special:
  • One of Florida’s most distinctive raptors, often soaring high overhead with a graceful, buoyant flight.
  • Known for two striking color morphs: a dark form (nearly all chocolate brown) and a light form (white underparts with dark flight feathers).
Size and color:
  • A medium-sized hawk, about 15–17 inches long with a wingspan of 32–40 inches.
  • Dark morph: overall chocolate-brown with lighter tail and underwings.
  • Light morph: white underparts, dark wingtips, and tail band, giving a sharp contrast when seen against the sky.
Seasonality in Florida:
  • Found year-round in Florida, especially along the Gulf Coast and near coastal hammocks.
  • Florida is the only U.S. state where they regularly occur, making them a regional specialty.
Habitat:
  • Prefer open woodlands, coastal hammocks, and beaches near forest edges.
  • Often seen soaring above dunes, mangroves, or barrier islands while hunting.
Diet:
  • Primarily hunt small birds, catching them midair in quick, dramatic dives.
  • Occasionally eat reptiles, mammals, or large insects.
Behavior:
  • Soar high overhead, sometimes mistaken for a gull or other hawk until viewed through binoculars.
  • Their hunting strategy is unique—waiting aloft, then stooping suddenly on an unsuspecting bird.
Conservation notes:
  • The population is small but stable in Florida.
  • Because of their limited U.S. range, sightings are always a treat for birders.
Best time to see:
  • Sunny mid-mornings when thermals lift them into the sky above coastal beaches and preserves.
Fun Fact:
  • Short-tailed Hawks are one of the few raptors in North America that specialize in hunting other birds.
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