A rounded-looking tail and a nearly black crown help identify this hawk. Virginia's atlas found breeding distribution in farmland and near towns as well as forested areas.
Its tail appears rounded, its crown is almost black, and in flight its head projects ahead of the wings.
It pursues prey aggressively, sometimes charging through brush or chasing small mammals on foot. In urban areas it can take Rock Pigeons and Mourning Doves.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.