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Ferruginous hawks, the largest North American buteo, are birds of open prairies and plains. They are uncommon and declining in much of their range. Many spend the winter in southern California, and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area (close to my home in Riverside) is a stronghold for these spectacular raptors. In flight (more photos here), ferruginous hawks are especially striking: they are large, pale birds with long, somewhat pointed wings, whitish tails, pale 'windows' in the primaries, and in adults, touches of rusty red on the underwings and legs. The 'vee' shape of the chestnut leg feathers against the white belly is a valuable field mark. The birds with somewhat banded tails and without rusty markings are juveniles. All ferruginous hawks have longer and more pointed wings than the common red-tailed hawk; in this respect they resemble the somewhat smaller Swainson's hawk. They also have much heavier bills than the other North American buteo with feathered legs, the rough-legged hawk.
Photographs of perched adults can be found here, perched juveniles here, and rare dark-morph birds here (perched) and here (in flight).
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