This largest of Oregon's hawks inhabits the most open country of the state's buteos, and watches over its home range on long, motionless wings for extended periods in search of prey. Ferruginous hawks are sensitive to human disturbance and tend to reside in remote areas.

They occur in two color morphs, but dark-morph birds are rare in Oregon. Light-morph birds are white below with few markings except for the ruddy-colored leg feathers. The back and wing coverts are rust colored and the tips of the primaries and end of the tail tend toward dark smoky gray.

It is an uncommon to rare resident in the open landscapes east of the Cascades. It is most common in northern Malheur County and along the foothills of the Blue Mountains.

The Ferruginous hawk is an Oregon Conservation Strategy Species in the Blue Mountains, Columbia Plateau,  and Northern Basin and Range ecoregions. 

Hear the call of the Ferruginous hawk

Photo by Jim Collins, ODFW