Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern subspecies likely)

This feather belongs to a large, stocky hawk known for its broad, rounded wings and iconic short, wide tail. Adults typically have a dark brown back and a pale underside with a streaked 'belly band'. Only adults possess the eponymous brick-red tail.

Base color is a creamy white to pale buff. It features distinct, dark brown horizontal banding (barring). The distal (outer) half shows a wash of rufous or warm cinnamon-brown, characteristic of adult plumage.

The upper portion is pennaceous with tightly interlocked barbs for flight stability. The base (calamus area) features long, loose plumulaceous barbs (downy) for insulation.

The surface is somewhat matte and stiff. The pennaceous section feels smooth but firm to provide air resistance, while the base is exceptionally soft and silky.

Distinctive dark brown banding on a light background with a characteristic warm rufous wash near the tip. The broad, rounded shape is a classic Buteo trait.

Extremely varied; found in open country, scattered woodlands, grasslands, agricultural fields, and increasingly in urban parks and highways.

Year-round resident across most of North America, from central Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America.

Apex predator. They play a vital role in controlling rodent and rabbit populations. They are also indicators of general ecosystem health.

Red-shouldered Hawk feathers (usually darker with sharper white/black contrast) and Cooper's Hawk feathers (usually narrower with different banding spacing).

The 'screech' of a Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic that it is almost always used in Hollywood movies as the sound effect for any eagle or hawk, including the Bald Eagle.

Good condition. There is minor fraying at the tip and some separation of the barbs (splits) near the mid-section, suggesting it may have been molted naturally at the end of a season.