You’re driving through the open plains of the American West, scanning the fence lines. You see the usual suspects. Light-colored chests, that iconic "belly band" of brown streaks, and maybe a flash of brick-red as one takes flight. But then, you spot something that looks wrong. It’s almost entirely dark—sooty, chocolatey, or even near-black. It looks like a small eagle, but it’s sitting on a telephone pole like any other Red-tail. You’ve just found a dark morph Red Tailed hawk, and honestly, they’re one of the most confusing birds in North America if you don't know what to look for.
Most birders start their journey learning the "classic" look. They expect the white chest. When that disappears, people panic. They start reaching for the ID books, thinking they’ve found a Ferruginous Hawk or a Rough-legged Hawk. Usually, they haven't.
Why Does the Dark Morph Red Tailed Hawk Look So Different?
Nature loves a good variation. While most of us are used to the Buteo jamaicensis having a pale underside to blend in with the sky (countershading), the dark morph flips the script. This isn't a different species. It's just a different outfit. Think of it like a Lab; you’ve got yellow ones and chocolate ones, but they’re both still Labs.
In the world of raptors, we call this polymorphism.
Most of these dark-feathered beauties belong to the Western subspecies (Buteo jamaicensis calurus). If you are on the East Coast, seeing a truly dark morph is rare. Like, "call your friends and post on eBird immediately" rare. Out West? They are a regular part of the landscape.
Why? Biologists like those at HawkWatch International have chewed on this for decades. Some think it’s about heat regulation. Darker feathers absorb more sun. Others think it’s just a genetic quirk that isn't harmful enough for evolution to weed out. Whatever the reason, these birds are stunning. They lack the white chest entirely. Instead, they are washed in deep rufous or dark brown from head to tail.
The Geography of the "Chocolate" Hawk
If you want to see one, head to the Great Basin. Or the Pacific Northwest.
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These birds love the open country of the Intermountain West. During winter, they migrate, which means a bird that hatched in Alaska might end up sitting on a fence in central California or Texas. This is where birders get stumped. Because there is also an "intermediate" morph. These birds are like the middle ground—not quite dark, not quite light. They usually have a very heavy, dark chest but still retain some lighter coloring on the belly. It’s a spectrum. Nature doesn't really care about our neat little boxes.
Telling Them Apart from the "Fake" Eagles
The biggest mistake people make? Identifying a dark morph Red Tailed hawk as a Golden Eagle.
It happens all the time. You see a big, dark bird soaring. You think, "Wow, an eagle!" But look at the head. Red-tails have a much "blockier" head than an eagle. And then there's the tail. Even on a dark morph, that tail usually stays red. If you can get a look at the upper side of the tail in the sunlight, that rusty orange-red is a dead giveaway.
Another "imposter" is the Harlan’s Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis harlani). Now, Harlan’s is technically a subspecies of the Red-tail, but they are almost always dark. They look like they’ve been dipped in charcoal. The kicker? They often don't have a red tail. Their tails are usually white or gray with messy dark mottling. If you see a dark hawk with a white tail, you’re likely looking at a Harlan’s, which usually breeds in the far north of Canada and Alaska.
The Myth of "Black" Hawks
Some people call them black hawks. They aren't. Not really.
If you look closely through a pair of high-quality Swarovski or Vortex binoculars, you’ll see the "black" is actually a very saturated brown. It’s rich. It’s complex. In the right light, it looks like burnished copper. This is why birders get so obsessed. The way the light hits a dark morph during the "golden hour" before sunset is something you just don't get with the standard light-colored hawks.
Survival and Hunting: Does Color Matter?
You’d think being dark would make it harder to hunt. If you’re a vole looking up, a dark bird stands out more against a bright white cloud than a pale bird does.
Surprisingly, studies haven't shown a huge difference in survival rates between the light and dark versions. Red-tails are generalists. They eat everything. Snakes, squirrels, pigeons, even other smaller raptors if the opportunity arises. Their hunting style is "sit and wait." They aren't chasing things down through the air like a Peregrine Falcon. They sit on a branch, stay still, and then drop like a lead weight. When you’re dropping from 50 feet up, your color probably doesn't matter as much as your speed.
Interestingly, some researchers have noted that dark morphs might be slightly more aggressive in defending territories. It's a theory, not a hard rule. But anyone who has spent time at a banding station like the one at Goshute Mountain in Nevada will tell you that every bird has its own personality. Some are "screamers" and some are totally chill.
What to Look for in the Field
Identifying a dark morph Red Tailed hawk requires a bit of a checklist. Forget the belly band. It’s not there.
- The Patagial Marks: Even on many dark birds, if you look at the "armpit" of the wing while they are soaring, there is a darker bar. On a dark bird, this might blend in, but it's a structural feature to look for.
- The Tail: Again, look for that red. It might be a darker, more "dirty" red than a light morph, but it's usually there.
- The Shape: It’s a Buteo. Short, wide tail. Broad wings. Chunky body. If it looks like a "flying ironing board," it’s probably a hawk, not an eagle.
- The Gape: The yellow "lips" at the base of the beak are very prominent on Red-tails against their dark feathers.
The Conservation Reality
Red-tailed hawks are doing great. Honestly.
Unlike many other raptors that are struggling with habitat loss, Red-tails have adapted to us. They love our highways. Highways mean mowed grass, and mowed grass means easy-to-spot rodents. They are one of the few species that has actually benefited from some of our infrastructure.
However, being a dark morph Red Tailed hawk comes with the same risks as any other raptor. Lead poisoning is a massive issue. When hunters use lead shot and leave gut piles, hawks eat the lead. It’s neurotoxic. Even a tiny fragment can kill a bird. Then there’s "rodenticide"—rat poison. A hawk eats a poisoned rat, and suddenly you have a dead hawk.
If you want to help these dark beauties, the best thing you can do is stop using poison and switch to non-lead ammunition if you hunt. Simple as that.
Where to Find Them Right Now
If it’s winter, get yourself to the Central Valley of California. It is the raptor capital of the world for a few months every year. You can drive down a single farm road and see fifty Red-tails. Among them, you’ll almost certainly find a few dark morphs.
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Look for them on the tops of telephone poles or on the highest branches of lone trees in fields. They like the vantage point. If you see one, don't just snap a photo and leave. Watch it. See how it interacts with the light-colored hawks nearby. Usually, they are just part of the gang.
Moving Forward: Your Next Steps in the Field
The world of raptor ID is deep, and the dark morph Red Tailed hawk is just the entry point. If you've found one, you're already doing better than 90% of casual observers.
To take this further, you need to stop relying on the "easy" field guides. Pick up a copy of The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors or Jerry Liguori’s Hawks at a Distance. These books don't just show you one perfect picture of a bird. They show you fifty pictures of the same bird in terrible light, from far away, and in every possible color variation.
Start keeping a log. Note the weather, the location, and the specific plumage details. Did it have "faint barring" on the tail? Was the chest more "rufous" or "sooty"? Over time, you’ll start to see patterns. You’ll stop seeing just "a hawk" and start seeing an individual with a history and a specific genetic makeup.
Next Actionable Steps:
- Audit Your Gear: If you are still using your phone to zoom in on birds, stop. Invest in an entry-level pair of 8x42 binoculars. You cannot see the subtle tail barring on a dark morph without them.
- Check eBird: Look up "Red-tailed Hawk (Western)" or "Red-tailed Hawk (Harlan's)" in your local county. See where people are spotting dark individuals and go there this weekend.
- Contribute to Science: If you get a clear photo of a dark morph, especially in an area where they are rare, upload it to iNaturalist or eBird. Scientists use this data to track how these color variations are shifting as our climate changes.