Red-tailed Hawk (Chickenhawk)

This feather comes from the iconic Red-tailed Hawk, a large Buteo known for its broad, rounded wings and short, wide tail. Adults are characterized by the eponymous cinnamon-red tail which they fan out during soaring. They are masters of thermals, often seen circling high in the sky or perched on telephone poles scanning for rodents.

Distinctive rufous (brick-red) upper surface with a subtle, dark subterminal band visible near the tip. The underside is a paler, more salmon-pink or buff-white. The rachis is light-colored near the base and darker toward the tip.

Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout most of the vane; plumulaceous (fluffy) barbs near the base (calamus); barbs show some separation toward the margins due to wear.

Smooth and stiff distal surface; soft and plumulaceous at the proximal base. The vane surface is relatively matte with a slight sheen when viewed in direct light.

Solid rufous-red color on the dorsal side, lack of heavy horizontal barring (typical of adults), ivory-to-tan rachis, and the specific broad-vane structure of a rectrix.

Extremely versatile: open fields, forests, deserts, mountain cliffs, and even urban parks or roadsides where prey is abundant.

Common across North America, ranging from central Alaska and Canada south into Panama and the West Indies.

Apex predator; plays a vital role in controlling rodent and small mammal populations. They are excellent indicators of environmental health in both rural and suburban ecosystems.

Red-shouldered Hawk (smaller, has stark black-and-white bands), Cooper's Hawk (narrower tail, grey/brown with dark bands), or Ferruginous Hawk (often has more white or mottling).

The 'scream' of the Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic that Hollywood almost always uses its recording to represent any eagle or hawk on screen, regardless of the species shown.

Good to Fair condition. The vane shows some ruffling and splitting at the edges, likely from natural wear or the molting process. No significant stress bars are visible.