The Zone-Tailed Hawk is a large, dark raptor with a wide, but disjunct, range that barely reaches into the southwestern United States. It’s about the size of a Red-Tailed Hawk, but noticeably slimmer. Perched, this hawk appears blackish, but in flight, reveals finely-barred gray flight feathers that can appear silvery from a distance. Its tail has three light-colored bands, or zones, which give this bird its common name. Yellow legs and a yellow and gray bill round out the Zone-Tailed Hawk’s most noticeable ID features.
In flight, the Zone-Tailed Hawk’s color, size, and flight style resemble those of another large, widespread raptor species, the Turkey Vulture. How would the Zone-Tailed Hawk benefit from this resemblance?
Read on to find out more:
https://abcbirds.org/bird/zone-tailed-hawk
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