🦅 Red-tailed Hawk
Buteo jamaicensis
The bird whose scream Hollywood uses for every eagle ever. A raspy, falling shriek from high overhead.
🔊 Hear the call
🦅 Red-tailed Hawk
Reference call (simulated)
“A hoarse, drawn-out “kee-eeeee-arr” that falls in pitch”
What they sound like
A hoarse, drawn-out “kee-eeeee-arr” that falls in pitch
Why they make this sound
- · Territorial defense over open hunting ground
- · Pair communication while soaring
- · Alarm when crows or another hawk intrude
When you’ll hear them
Daytime, especially mid-morning thermals and nesting season
Where they live
Open country, highway edges, fields with tall perches Across North America
Fun fact
Bald eagles actually sound like squeaky whistles, so films dub in this hawk instead.
Should I be concerned?
No danger to people. Keep small pets supervised in open yards during nesting season.
Sound signature
- Sound type
- Bird vocalization — raptor scream
- Pitch
- High and raspy
- Pattern
- Single 2–3 second descending scream
- Frequency
- 1,500–4,000 Hz