Zone-tailed hawks inhabit the Desert Southwest, from Southern California to southwest Texas, and range southward through Mexico, Central America and semiarid regions of South America; most of those that breed in the U.S. winter in Mexico.
A large but slender buteo, zone-tailed hawks resemble turkey vultures when in flight and often soar with flocks of those scavengers; indeed, some ornithologists believe that this behavior is an effort to deceive their prey (small mammals, birds and reptiles) that tend to ignore the harmless vultures. Preferring desert and semiarid grasslands with nearby trees and cliffs, zone-tailed hawks are best found near desert ranges where they roost and nest in wooded canyons. After engaging in spectacular mating flights, characterized by steep dives, these raptors construct a nest of sticks in a tree or on a rock ledge; two or three eggs are generally produced.
Easily identified by their black plumage, yellow legs, banded tail and vulture-like flight, zone-tailed hawks adapt well to dry habitats and their population appears to be increasing in the Desert Southwest. Most return from Mexico by early spring and generally remain in the U.S. through mid autumn; a small number may be encountered in southern Arizona or New Mexico during the winter months.
