Hawks are birds of prey that have a great hunting ability. These amazing predators have sharp eyesight through which they can easily find and attack their prey. These birds are greatly found in places like Oklahoma.
Oklahoma has a variety of habitats for hawks to live in, with its wide diversity of forests and mesas. During summer it is common to see hawks in the wildland of Oklahoma, especially the Swainson’s hawk, and the Red-tailed hawk is common to see in winter.
However, there are seven types of birds in Oklahoma, each distinct in features and appearance but all of them are majestic predators.
07 Types of Hawks in Oklahoma
The types of hawks found in the forests of Oklahoma are as follows along with their features and appearance:
1. Red-tailed Hawk
Scientific Name: Buteo jamaicensis
Male Red-tailed Hawk
- Length: 17.7-22.1 in (45-56 cm)
- Weight: 24.3-45.9 oz (690-1300 g)
- Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)
Female Red-tailed Hawk
- Length: 19.7-25.6 in (50-65 cm)
- Weight: 31.8-51.5 oz (900-1460 g)
- Wingspan: 44.9-52.4 in (114-133 cm)
Listen Red-tailed Hawk Call
Credit: Bruce Lagerquist, XC638607. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/638607
The red-tailed hawk has a length of 17.7 to 25.6 inches and the wingspan is about 44-53 inches long and its weight is 24-52 ounces. These birds are spotted frequently in the wild of Oklahoma.
These birds have a distinctive short, red, and wide tail with a large body structure and rounded broad wings. These predators generally attack rats, voles, rabbits, mice, and squirrels and also feed on snakes and birds.
They often reside in places with the surrounding environment such as fields, grasslands, scrub lands, deserts, forests, and also in parks and roadsides occasionally.
2. Northern Harrier
Scientific Name: Circus hudsonius
- Length: 18.1-19.7 in (46-50 cm)
- Weight: 10.6-26.5 oz (300-750 g)
- Wingspan: 40.2-46.5 in (102-118 cm)
Listen Northern Harrier Call
Credit: Paul Marvin, XC143657. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/143657
Northern Harriers are said to be the third most frequently spotted species of hawks in wilds and places of Oklahoma. These birds have a length of a total of 18.1-19.7 inches with a wingspan of about 40.2-46 inches long.
Their weight is about 10-26.5 ounces with long broad wings and they often fly with the tip of their wings higher than their bodies in a shape of V- a pattern.
These birds are found in the fields and in the open places of Oklahoma to search for their prey. These birds mostly hunt small mammals and birds.
3. Cooper’s Hawk
Scientific Name: Accipiter cooperii
- Length: 14.6-15.3 in (37-39 cm)
- Weight: 7.8-14.5 oz (220-410 g)
- Wingspan: 24.4-35.4 in (62-90 cm)
Listen Cooper’s Hawk Call
Credit: Lance A. M. Benner, XC388120. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/388120
The cooper has a length of 14.7 to 17.7 inches and the wingspan is about 62-99 cm long and its weight is 215-701 grams. These birds have excellent flying abilities.
These birds are spotted in the wild of Oklahoma. These birds have a distinctive steely blue great appearance and look similar to Sharp-shinned hawks and one might not be able to identify between them.
These birds generally attack medium-sized birds and mammals which are smaller than them. They are seen on the edges of forests and are a resident of most parts of the United States and Canada and they migrate to the south during the winter.
4. Swainson’s Hawk
Scientific Name: Buteo swainsoni
- Length: 18.9-22.1 in (48-56 cm)
- Weight: 24.4-48.2 oz (693-1367 g)
- Wingspan: 46-54 in (117-137 cm)
Listen Swainson’s Hawk Call
Credit: Julia Wittmann, XC438511. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/438511
The Swainson has a length of 18.9-22 inches and the wingspan is about 117-137 cm long and its weight is 24-48.2 ounces. These birds are spotted frequently in the wild of Oklahoma in summer and they migrate to the south during winter.
These birds have long-sized wings with short tails and wingtips with pointed structures. These predators feed on small mammals and birds and also include reptiles and insects.
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5. Northern Goshawk
Scientific Name: Accipiter gentilis
- Length: 20.9-25.2 in (53-64 cm)
- Weight: 22.3-48.1 oz (631-1364 g)
- Wingspan: 40.5-46.1 in (103-117 cm)
Listen Northern Goshawk Call
Credit: Antonio Xeira, XC715009. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/715009
The Northern Goshawk has a length of 20.9 to 25.2 inches and the wingspan is about 44-46 inches long and its weight is 22.3-48.1 ounces. These birds reside in the wild of Oklahoma and the large forests and that is why it is difficult to spot these birds easily and they are given too.
These birds have a distinctive bluish-white to grey belly with barring and have a dark head paired with deep red eyes. The upper part of the body of this specific hawk has a distinct marking.
These predators generally attack and feed on snakes, mammals, birds, and sometimes insects when they find nothing for hunting. They also reside in the forests of Alaska and Canada and migrate to central states especially the young ones during the winter times.
6. Red-shouldered Hawk
Scientific Name: Buteo lineatus
- Length: 16.9-24.0 in (43-61 cm)
- Weight: 17.1-27.3 oz (486-774 g)
- Wingspan: 37.0-43.7 in (94-111 cm)
Listen Red-shouldered Hawk Call
Credit: Lance A. M. Benner, XC545864. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/545864
The red-shouldered hawk has a length of 16.9-24 inches and the wingspan is about 37-43 inches long and its weight is 17-27 ounces. These birds have a distinctive mark with dark and white-colored wings and have a size similar to a crow.
These predators generally feed on small mammals and also eat lizards, snakes, and amphibians.
They are often found in places with the surrounding large clearings and near wet forests, where they hunt their prey along a stream. They are the residents of eastern states but they often migrate to the south like other species of hawks during winter.
7. Zone-tailed Hawk
Scientific Name: Buteo albonotatus
- Length: 17.7-22.1 in (45-56 cm)
- Weight: 21.4-23.5 oz (607-667 g)
- Wingspan: 46.9-55.1 in (119-140 cm)
Listen Zone-tailed Hawk Call
Credit: Bobby Wilcox, XC717768. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/717768
The zone-tailed hawk has a length of 17.7 to 25.6 inches and the wingspan is about 46-55.2 inches long and its weight is 21-33.5 ounces. These birds are said to be an accidental species of birds in Oklahoma.
These birds have a distinctive short, red, and wide tail with a large body structure and rounded broad wings. These predators generally attack rats, voles, rabbits, mice, and squirrels and also feed on snakes and birds.
They often reside in places with the surrounding environment such as fields, grasslands, scrub lands, deserts, forests, and also in parks and roadsides occasionally.
Conclusion
There are said to be a total of 13 species of hawks found in Oklahoma including Gray hawks, common black hawks, rough-legged hawks, sharp stunned hawks, and ferruginous birds. All the types of birds found in Oklahoma, they differentiated in getting spotted at different times during summer and winter.
