A red tailed hawk rests on a power pole in San Diego County California. The red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey that breeds throughout most of North America, from the interior of Alaska and northern Canada to as far south as Panama and the West Indies. It is one of the most common members within the genus of Buteo in North America or worldwide. HTBphotos by John and Katharina Notarianni for websites, print and other media.