Physical Description: Size: 41-61 cm, Wing span: 110 cm, barred tail, distinct white rump patch. Males have a gray back and are much more pale. Females have a brown back and a streaked breast.

Habitat: Found in open grasslands and near marshes. Breeding range extends from southern California to northern Canada and Alaska. Winters from southern Canada to South America.

Diet: Feeds primarilly on small vertebrates. Hunts by hovering low over grasslands and attacks with suprise.