| Red-shouldered Hawk | Red-tailed Hawk | ||
| Adult | |||
| wide dark and narrow white bands |  |  | rufous colored |
| reddish, barred breast |  |  | belly band (missing in some races, see regional differences page) |
| red on shoulder white panel in primaries |  |  | no red on shoulder |
| black and white bars on underside of wings |  |  | Patagial mark on underside of wings |
| Juvenile | |||
| fewer bands black bands are wider than light colored bands |  |  | numerous narrow bands black bands are all same width black bands are narrower than lighter bands |
| yellow cere |  |  | pale greenish or bluish-green cere |
| reddish panel in primaries |  |  | no reddish panel in primaries |
| brown streaks or spots on chest |  |  | belly band |
| black and white bars on underside of wings |  |  | patagial mark |
| Fledgling | |||
| fewer bands |  |  | numerous narrow bands black bands are narrower than lighter bands |
| yellow cere |  |  | pale greenish or bluish-green cere |
| reddish panel in primaries |  |  | no reddish panel in primaries |
| brown streaks or spots on front |  |  | belly band |
| no patagial mark |  |  | patagial mark |
| Nestling | |||
 |  | ||
| yellow cere |  |  | pale greenish or bluish-green cere |
| Go to red-shouldered hawk |
| Go to red-tailed hawk |