RFW Bird-watching Resources

  Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks

Turkey Vulture

(Cathartes aura)

Family: Cathartidae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: tuvu
Size: Large

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   Rio Arriba County

   Rio Arriba County

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Turkey Vulture


Season - Abundance Status:
Migrant Summer Breeder - Common

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Turkey Vulture at xeno-canto.org

Golden Eagle

(Aquila chrysaetos)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: goea
Size: Very Large

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   Maxwell Lakes

   Maxwell Lakes

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Golden Eagle


Season - Abundance Status:
Year-round Bird - Rare

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Golden Eagle at xeno-canto.org

Northern Harrier

(Circus hudsonius)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: noha
Size: Large

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Female   Carrizozo

Male   W. Oklahoma

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Northern Harrier


Season - Abundance Status:
Winter Visitor - Less Common

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Northern Harrier at xeno-canto.org

Sharp-shinned Hawk

(Accipiter striatus)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: ssha
Size: Medium

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   Rio Arriba County

   Rio Arriba County

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Sharp-shinned Hawk


Season - Abundance Status:
Year-round Bird - Uncommon

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Sharp-shinned Hawk at xeno-canto.org

Cooper’s Hawk

(Accipiter cooperii)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: coha
Size: Large

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   Rio Arriba County

   Rio Arriba County

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Cooper’s Hawk


Season - Abundance Status:
Year-round Bird - Less Common

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Cooper’s Hawk at xeno-canto.org

Bald Eagle

(Haliaeetus leucocephalus)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: baea
Size: Very Large

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Adult   Rio Arriba County

Immature   Rio Arriba County
Photo by: Sarah Nelson

Adult   Orilla Verde
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Bald Eagle


Season - Abundance Status:
Winter Visitor - Uncommon

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Bald Eagle at xeno-canto.org

Swainson’s Hawk

(Buteo swainsoni)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: swha
Size: Large

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   RFW-Corridor
Photo by: John Lay

   Taos County
Photo by: Tom Jackman

   Galisteo
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Swainson’s Hawk


Season - Abundance Status:
Migrant Summer Breeder - Rare

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Swainson’s Hawk at xeno-canto.org

Red-tailed Hawk

(Buteo jamaicensis)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: rtha
Size: Large

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   Rio Arriba County

   Rio Arriba County

Dark Morph   Rio Arriba County
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Red-tailed Hawk


Season - Abundance Status:
Year-round Bird - Common

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Red-tailed Hawk at xeno-canto.org

Rough-legged Hawk

(Buteo lagopus)

Family: Accipitridae
Common Family Grouping:
Diurnal Raptors: Vultures, Eagles and Hawks
4-Letter Species Code: rlha
Size: Large

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   Eagle Nest, NM

   Eagle Nest, NM

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Rough-legged Hawk


Season - Abundance Status:
Winter Visitor - Rare

Link to USGS Site with more information: USGS

Hear sounds of Rough-legged Hawk at xeno-canto.org

Range data provided by Infonatura/Natureserve. Ridgely, R. S., T. F. Alnutt, T. Brooks, D. K. McNicol, D. W. Mehlman, B. E. Young, and J. R. Zook. 2005 Digital Distribution Maps of the Birds of the Western Hemisphere, version 2.1 NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia, USA

eBird and CBC Graphs created with Google Charts: https://developers.google.com/chart

Data for CBC Graph: National Audubon Society (2020). The Christmas Bird Count Historical Results Online. Available http://www.christmasbirdcount.org November, 2020

Data for eBird Graph: eBird. 2021. eBird: An online database of bird distribution and abundance. eBird, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Available: http://www.ebird.org. (Accessed: January 7, 2021).