Hawks & Eagles in France
Our list for France has 16 hawks & eagles recorded regularly there: 8 residents, 5 summer visitors and 3 winter visitors
Most likely in October
GBIF · OctShare of all bird records in France in October, 2019–2024. Each month links to that month’s page.
All 16, most common first
BuzzardButeo buteoResidentCommon51–57 cmRecorded all year
Western Marsh-harrierCircus aeruginosusResidentCommon48–56 cmRecorded all year
SparrowhawkAccipiter nisusResidentCommon28–38 cmRecorded all year
Griffon VultureGyps fulvusSummer visitorUncommon93–122 cmRecorded all year
Red KiteMilvus milvusResidentUncommon60–66 cmRecorded all year
European Honey-buzzardPernis apivorusSummer visitorUncommon52–60 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Hen HarrierCircus cyaneusWinter visitorUncommon41–52 cmRecorded all year
Montagu's HarrierCircus pygargusSummer visitorUncommon43–47 cmRegularly Apr–Sep
Golden EagleAquila chrysaetosResidentUncommon66–102 cmRecorded all year
Booted EagleHieraaetus pennatusSummer visitorUncommon42–51 cmRecorded all year
Northern GoshawkAstur gentilisResidentUncommon46–61 cmRecorded all year
White-tailed Sea-eagleHaliaeetus albicillaWinter visitorUncommon66–94 cmRegularly Jul–Apr
Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusSummer visitorRare55–65 cmRegularly Mar–Sep
Cinereous VultureAegypius monachusResidentRare98–120 cmRecorded all year
Bonelli's EagleAquila fasciataResidentRare65–72 cmRecorded all year
Rough-legged HawkButeo lagopusWinter visitorRare46–59 cmRegularly Dec–Feb
Smallest to largest
Length, cm- Sparrowhawk 28–38 cm
- Montagu's Harrier 43–47 cm
- Hen Harrier 41–52 cm
- Booted Eagle 42–51 cm
- Western Marsh-harrier 48–56 cm
- Rough-legged Hawk 46–59 cm
- Northern Goshawk 46–61 cm
- Buzzard 51–57 cm
- European Honey-buzzard 52–60 cm
- Egyptian Vulture 55–65 cm
- Red Kite 60–66 cm
- Bonelli's Eagle 65–72 cm
- White-tailed Sea-eagle 66–94 cm
- Golden Eagle 66–102 cm
- Griffon Vulture 93–122 cm
- Cinereous Vulture 98–120 cm
Body length, bill to tail. Rare birds in grey.
Data: EOD – eBird Observation Dataset (Cornell Lab of Ornithology), accessed via GBIF.org, CC BY 4.0. Records from 2019–2024, aggregated and filtered by Birdfact. How these lists are made