Cooper's Hawks
Arizona hosts a remarkable diversity of hawks, eagles, and kites, from resident breeders to seasonal migrants and rare visitors. The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis), with its broad wings and reddish tail, is the most widespread, inhabiting deserts, grasslands, and mountains year-round, while the smaller Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) and Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) are agile forest hunters, the latter more common in winter. Northern Harriers (Circus hudsonius) sweep low over marshes and grasslands, their owl-like faces aiding in prey detection. Among the soaring buteos, Swainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsoni) breeds in open country before migrating to South America, Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) winters in grasslands and prairies, and Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus), with feathered legs, is an uncommon winter visitor from the Arctic. Zone-tailed Hawks (Buteo albonotatus) mimic Turkey Vultures in flight to ambush prey, while the uncommon Gray Hawk (Buteo plagiatus) nests in southeastern riparian woodlands. Eagles include the iconic Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), nesting near lakes and rivers, and the Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), a powerful resident of open mountains and deserts. Rare vagrants like the White-tailed Hawk (Geranoaetus albicaudatus) and Common Black Hawk (Buteogallus anthracinus), the latter more regular along southeastern streams, add to the state’s raptor richness. Kites, though less common, include the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus), an irregular breeder in grasslands and agricultural areas, and the Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis), a strikingly marked flier seen only on rare occasions.