Buzzard Hawks, or Buteos, are different

The Broad-winged Hawk, photo taken by Steffon McGregor - (705) 785-3095

from true hawks in that they have larger, stockier builds and wider, rounded tails. They are the hawks that you see soaring high in the sky, usually coasting around lazily on air currents, looking for prey below. In this area three species of buzzard hawks can be found -- the Red-tailed, the Red-shouldered, and the Broad-winged. The Red-tailed's trademark is, you guessed it, their red tails, and they also have white breasts -- an unusual characteristic for most species of hawks, buteos or not. These types of birds are commonly found near woodland edges, and in open fields. The Red-shouldered Buzzard Hawk, true to its name, has large red patches on the shoulders of its wings, and is usually found deep within the forest. Last but not least, the Broad-shouldered variety is only about the size of a crow, and has a thickly-banded black and white tail. The Broad-shouldered Buzzard Hawk is only found in the area during the summer, and like its Red-winged cousin, prefers to reside deep with in the forest.