Red-shouldered Hawk

This feather belongs to a medium-sized Buteo hawk known for its vibrant rufous (red) shoulders and strongly barred black-and-white wings. The bird is a quintessential forest raptor with a distinctive 'kee-aah' call.

Strongly barred with alternating wide bands of dark brownish-black and crisp white/cream. The tip is dark.

Mostly pennaceous (tightly interlocked) with a small plumulaceous (downy) section at the base

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat matte; designed for silent but powerful flight through woodland canopy.

Bold, high-contrast black and white barring; broad width; rounded tip; lacks the red wash found on tail feathers.

Bottomland hardwood forests, flooded deciduous woodlands, and suburban areas with tall trees near water.

Year-round resident in the Eastern United States, California, and Mexico; northern populations may migrate south.

Top-tier predator of small mammals, amphibians, and reptiles; serves as an indicator of healthy wetland-forest ecosystems.

Broad-winged Hawk (feathers have fewer, wider bands); Cooper's Hawk (longer, narrower tail feathers with different gray-brown barring).

They are highly vocal raptors and are often mimicked by Blue Jays. They are known to return to the same nesting territory year after year.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip suggests it was a naturally molted feather from a flying bird.