Fossa vs Red-tailed Hawk

Cryptoprocta ferox compared with Buteo jamaicensis

Key Differences

• Fossa is Vulnerable while Red-tailed Hawk is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Fossa	Red-tailed Hawk
Kingdom same	Animalia (Animals)	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)	Aves (Birds)
Order	Carnivora (Carnivorans)	Accipitriformes (Hawks & Eagles)
Family	Eupleridae	Accipitridae (Hawks & Eagles)
Genus	Cryptoprocta	Buteo
Species	Cryptoprocta ferox	Buteo jamaicensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Fossa and Red-tailed Hawk share a common ancestor at the Phylum level: Chordata. (Chordates)

Conservation Status

Fossa

VU — Vulnerable

Red-tailed Hawk

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Fossa	Red-tailed Hawk
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Fossa

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Red-tailed Hawk

Habitat

Typically found in various aerial, terrestrial, and aquatic environments.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (5 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Colombia).

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List. Widespread and abundant across its range, with stable populations and no immediate conservation concerns.