Gray Hawk

The Gray Hawk is a small, slender buteo with finely barred pale gray upperparts, crisp white underparts marked with fine gray barring, and a black tail crossed by two or three narrow white bands. Its build is more compact and accipiter-like than most buteos, an adaptation that helps it maneuver through the dense riparian canopy it favors.

Once considered part of a single wide-ranging species with the Gray-lined Hawk of South America, the northern Gray Hawk is now recognized as its own species, closely tied to the cottonwood- and mesquite-lined rivers of the borderlands.

Key Field Marks

• Finely barred pale gray back and hood contrasting with white, barred underparts
• Black tail with two or three narrow white bands, often fanned in flight
• Compact, relatively short-winged and long-tailed silhouette compared to other buteos
• Agile flight through wooded canopy rather than high open-country soaring

Similar Species

• Broad-winged Hawk: browner overall with a single broad white tail band, and prefers eastern forests rather than desert riparian corridors.
• Cooper's Hawk: has a similar compact shape but shows a dark cap, rufous barring on the breast, and lacks the Gray Hawk's clean gray-and-white pattern.

Range

Gray Hawks breed in the southwestern United States, mainly southeastern Arizona and southern Texas, south through Mexico and Central America.

Habitat

They are closely tied to riparian woodland corridors, especially those lined with cottonwoods, willows, and mesquite along desert rivers and streams, habitat that has become increasingly scarce due to water diversion and development.

Hunting

Gray Hawks hunt by perching quietly within the canopy and making short, agile dashes after lizards, small mammals, and birds, relying on stealth and maneuverability rather than open-country soaring.

Voice

The call is a distinctive, loud, descending whistle, often rendered as a squealing "kree-kreer," frequently heard before the bird is seen in dense riparian growth.

Nesting

Nests are built in tall cottonwoods or other riparian trees, and pairs are often loyal to the same territory across years. Clutches typically contain two to three eggs.