Published in Movement Ecology: Crossing the straits of Mackinac…

We are excited to share a new research article now published in Movement Ecology! In this paper we investigate how atmospheric conditions influenced the timing of water crossing for Red-tailed Hawks at the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan during spring migration. Specifically, we investigated the availability of over-water uplift and its effect on crossing behavior, which hasContinue reading “Published in Movement Ecology: Crossing the straits of Mackinac…”

Published in the Journal of Raptor Research – Migratory connectivity of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) from Alaska, USA

We are excited to announce the publication of a new research article for an upcoming movement ecology issue in the Journal of Raptor Research. In this paper, we detail the migratory behavior and plumage variation of GPS-tracked adult Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) that summered in Alaska, USA. We found significant levels of migratory connectivity amongContinue reading “Published in the Journal of Raptor Research – Migratory connectivity of Red-tailed Hawks (Buteo jamaicensis) from Alaska, USA”

The Red-tailed Hawk Project featured in Living Bird magazine

We are extremely excited to share that the Spring 2025 issue of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Living Bird Magazine dons a spectacular photo of an adult Harlan’s Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis harlani) taken by Brian Sullivan, and includes a feature article focused on the work of the Red-tailed Hawk Project, written by the talentedContinue reading “The Red-tailed Hawk Project featured in Living Bird magazine”

32 individuals make up the new cohort of transmitters for 2025!

This season we have added 32 new transmitters to our tracking effort! This includes 25 from the desert southwest (see above), one dark morph in New York(!), and six birds in Washington (see below), all to represent our biggest seasonal transmitter effort yet! Our focus this season was primarily on bolstering our sampling of migratoryContinue reading “32 individuals make up the new cohort of transmitters for 2025!”

A subspecies account for B. j. fuertesi

We’ve posted a new subspecies account for B. j. fuertesi, led by Brian Sullivan! – https://redtailedhawkproject.org/buteo-jamaicensis-fuertesi/ We continue to work on subspecies overviews for all described Red-tailed Hawk subspecies, so keep checking back for information on your favorite subspecies including the identification, taxonomic history, distribution, status, and our assessment of the current knowledge on the taxon. Continue reading “A subspecies account for B. j. fuertesi”

Support our work by purchasing a shirt!

We have two shirt designs available that feature the described subspecies (light morphs only for the polymorphic taxon) as well as a dark morph harlani design. Consider supporting our work by purchasing a shirt, and carrying along a reference when you get out to look at Red-tailed Hawks! To purchase either of these unisex shirtContinue reading “Support our work by purchasing a shirt!”

A subspecies account for B. j. alascensis

We’ve posted a new subspecies account for the enigmatic B. j. alascensis, led by Brian Sullivan! – https://redtailedhawkproject.org/buteo-jamaicensis-alascensis/ We’re currently working on subspecies overviews for all described Red-tailed Hawk subspecies. These accounts will feature the identification, taxonomic history, distribution, status, and our assessment of the current status of our knowledge on the taxon. Our ideaContinue reading “A subspecies account for B. j. alascensis”

Published in the Journal of Biogeography – A revision to the distribution of plumage polymorphism in the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

The Red-tailed Hawk Project’s first publication has now been published in the Journal of Biogeography! The paper details spring migration routes, nesting locations and home ranges of four dark morphs tagged in the Great Lakes region of North America. These data support that dark morphs do indeed breed in eastern Boreal Canada, extending our understandingContinue reading “Published in the Journal of Biogeography – A revision to the distribution of plumage polymorphism in the Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)”

Plumage polymorphism in raptors

Why do some raptors, like the Red-tailed Hawk, have more than one color morph? Jen Walsh, Irby Lovette and the Red-tailed Hawk Project’s Bryce Robinson outline what is currently known in a publication now out in the journal Ornithology titled ‘Plumage polymorphism in raptors’. The paper details the presence of the trait in each raptorContinue reading “Plumage polymorphism in raptors”