Cuban red-tailed hawk


The Cuban red-tailed hawk is a subspecies of red-tailed hawk native to the Bahamas, Florida, and Cuba.

Description

This subspecies is fairly small, intermediate in size between the Florida red-tailed hawk and the nominate subspecies, the Jamaican red-tailed hawk, found on islands to the north and south. The wing chord of males can range from, averaging, and, in females, it ranges from, averaging. Males and females average in tail length, in tarsal length, and in culmen length.

Taxonomy

Like other island races, the validity of this subspecies has been called into question, but it has its defenders as well. Generally, this subspecies appears as a diminutive version of B. j. umbrinus in plumage characteristics but is considerably isolated from that race.