Red-tailed Hawk

This feather belongs to the Red-tailed Hawk, a robust raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Adults are famous for their namesake cinnamon-red tail, though their body plumage varies widely from nearly white to almost black (dark morphs).

Uniform dark chocolate brown to fuscous on the dorsal surface with a subtle sheen; the ventral side is lighter and more matte. The lack of distinct banding suggests it is from the dark morph or an older adult from a darker population.

Densely packed pennaceous barbs with interlocking hooklets for aerodynamic integrity; minimal plumulaceous (downy) structure at the base of the quill.

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy on the upper vane; the surface is designed to be water-resistant and withstand high wind pressure during soaring.

Significant asymmetry between the leading and trailing vanes, dark uniform pigmentation, and the characteristic stiffness and size of a Buteo primary.

Extremely versatile: found in open grasslands, agricultural fields, woodland edges, deserts, and increasingly in urban parks and highways.

Year-round resident across most of North America, from Alaska and Canada south into Central America and the West Indies.

Top-tier predator; controls rodent and rabbit populations and serves as an important indicator of environmental health and pesticide levels.

Golden Eagle (much larger), Rough-legged Hawk (usually has more distinct whitish bases), and Dark-morph Swainson's Hawk (narrower feather profile).

The scream of the Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic and piercing that it is almost always used in Hollywood movies to represent any eagle or hawk, including the Bald Eagle.

Good to Fair condition; contains significant wear at the tip (fraying) and some separation of the barbs ('zipper' effect), suggesting it was molted at the end of a season.