Eagle vs Hawk
Verdict: Go by size and soaring shape. Eagles are bigger, with a wingspan of 6 feet or more, and soar on flat or slightly raised wings. A red-tailed hawk spans about 4 feet and circles on broad rounded wings with a short, often reddish tail.
Eagles and hawks are both raptors, and large hawks are often mistaken for eagles at a distance. The numbers help: a bald eagle is about 28 to 38 inches long with an 80-inch wingspan, and a golden eagle spans about 73 to 87 inches. A red-tailed hawk is about 18 to 26 inches long with a wingspan of roughly 45 to 52 inches.
This page uses the bald eagle, golden eagle and red-tailed hawk because they are the commonly confused North American birds. Hawks include many smaller species, so a small raptor will not match these numbers. Shape, wing posture and tail color matter more than color alone, because young bald eagles are mostly dark and lack the white head.
Eagle vs Hawk side by side
| Trait | Eagle | Hawk |
|---|---|---|
| Length | About 28 to 38 inches (bald) or 28 to 33 inches (golden) | About 18 to 22 inches (male), 20 to 26 inches (female), red-tailed |
| Wingspan | About 80 inches (bald) or 73 to 87 inches (golden) | About 45 to 52 inches |
| Young birds | Young bald eagles are mostly dark with white mottling and take about five years to reach adult plumage | Light and dark color forms; young birds have brown banded tails |
| Wing posture when soaring | Held flat like a board (bald) or in a slight V (golden) | Soars in wide circles on broad rounded wings |
| Tail | White tail in adult bald eagles; elongated tail on golden eagles | Short tail, cinnamon-red above in adults |
| Build and color | Bald eagle has a heavy body, large head and long hooked bill, yellow in adults | Rich brown above, pale below with a streaked belly and a dark bar on the underwing |
| Food | Fish mostly (bald); jackrabbits and small mammals (golden) | Hunts from perches or while hanging in the air, then strikes with legs outstretched |
| Where you see it | Bald: lakes, rivers, marshes and coasts; golden: open country around mountains, mostly in the West | Open fields, perched on telephone poles and fenceposts |
Last verified October 2026. Typical values; individual animals, products and local prices vary.
When you are looking at which
Eagle
- The bird is huge, with a wingspan around 6 to 7 feet, and soars on flat, board-like wings.
- The adult has a white head and white tail, or a golden nape on a dark body.
- It is near a lake, river or coast fishing, or over western mountains.
- Its heavy body and large head make it look big even when perched.
Hawk
- The bird has a wingspan of about 4 feet and broad rounded wings with a short tail.
- You see a cinnamon-red tail from above, or a streaked belly with a dark belly band.
- It sits motionless on a pole or fencepost scanning a field.
- It circles in wide loops, then stoops with its feet out.
How this works
The quiz is built on five cues: wingspan, soaring posture, tail, place and length. They use size and field marks from Cornell Lab species guides for the bald eagle, golden eagle and red-tailed hawk, and each answer maps to a measurement or marking those guides give.
It cannot handle every raptor. Ospreys, Cooper's hawks, vultures and other eagles differ, and young birds change the pattern. Distance also distorts size, so treat the result as a best guess and confirm with a field guide or a local Audubon chapter.
Where these numbers come from
The figures and defaults on this page are based on:
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Bald Eagle Identification, Bald eagle size, flat wings, plumage and diet (checked October 2026)
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Golden Eagle Identification, Golden eagle size, V soaring posture, range and prey (checked October 2026)
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Red-tailed Hawk Identification, Red-tailed hawk size, tail, belly band, soaring and hunting (checked October 2026)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Bald Eagle, Bald eagle wingspan, juvenile plumage, white head and tail by age 5, diet (checked October 2026)
- Audubon: Red-tailed Hawk, Hawk length, wingspan, rust tail, perch hunting and roadside habits (checked October 2026)
Field-identification guide using three common species; other hawks and eagles, and young birds, differ.
Frequently asked questions
Is an eagle just a big hawk?
Eagles are bigger raptors than the usual red-tailed hawk. A bald eagle spans about 80 inches and a red-tailed hawk about 45 to 52 inches. Eagles also soar with flat or slightly raised wings rather than circling on broad rounded wings.
How can I tell a young bald eagle from a hawk?
Young bald eagles are mostly dark brown with white mottling and do not get the white head and tail until about five years old. They are much larger than a red-tailed hawk, with a heavier body and bigger bill.
What is the easiest way to spot a red-tailed hawk?
Look for a cinnamon-red tail from above, a streaked belly with a dark belly band on light birds, and a bird perched on a pole or fencepost or circling over a field.
Do golden eagles live in the East?
They are most common in the West, in open country around mountains, hills and cliffs, and are rare east of the Mississippi River.
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