Scarce and often rather local hawk of temperate rainforest and edge, adjacent open and semiopen areas. Looks similar to the Red-tailed Hawk of North America. Hunts from perches, less often in flight. Light morph has dark leading edge to underwing; adult has diagnostic rusty tail with narrow dark bars. Rare dark morph has dark body plumage, adult tail washed grayish; immature has broader, blunter wings than very similar dark-morph immature of Variable Hawk.