Types of Hawks in East Texas

The state of Texas is home to numerous hawk species, some of which are residents and others that migrate to the area. Different areas of the large state are home to various hawk species.The eastern part of Texas itself is the permanent or migratory home of six different hawk species.

  1. Sharp-shinned Hawk

    • The sharp-shinned hawk is a winter visitor to Texas and is found throughout the state, including the eastern areas. It is a small bird growing to 13 inches in height with a wingspan of around 22 inches. The species spends its summers in Canada and Alaska and is found in the more northern states year round.

    Coopers Hawk

    • Coopers hawk is a year-round resident of east Texas as well as much of the U.S. It is a medium-sized species growing up to 15 inches in length with a 35-inch wingspan. It is a widespread species with migratory summer populations in southern Canada and winter migrations to northern Mexico.

    Red-shouldered Hawk

    • The red-shouldered hawk is native to the eastern U.S. from New York down to Florida. It does range as far west as east Texas and winter migrations take it to northern Mexico. It is a large hawk species growing to 24 inches in length with a 43-inch wingspan.

    Broad-winged Hawk

    • The broad-winged hawk is a short term visitor to east Texas, passing through the area on its annual migration. It spends its summers in the eastern U.S and parts of south-east Canada returning to Mexico and northern areas of South America in the winter. It is a medium-sized hawk growing to 17 inches in length with a 39-inch wingspan.

    Red-tailed Hawk

    • The red-tailed Hawk is a year round inhabitant of North America, parts of southern Canada and much of Mexico. During the summer it migrates as far north as Alaska and the Arctic tundra regions. It is a common species of hawk which grows to 22 inches in length with a 52-inch wingspan.

    Rough-legged Hawk

    • The rough-legged hawk is a migratory visitor to parts of northeast Texas. It spends the summer in northern Canada and Alaska migrating down into the U.S. for the winter. The species does travel as far south as the most northern tip of Mexico. It is a large hawk species growing to 20 inches long with a wingspan of 54 inches.