Red-tailed Hawk (Chicken Hawk, Red-tail)

The Red-tailed Hawk is a robust, broad-winged soaring hawk with a signature rusty-red tail in adults, dark patagial marks on the underwings, and mottled brown upperparts

Muted grayish-brown tones with subtle darker barring and pale grey-brown edges, typical of immature or brown morph plumage variation

Pennaceous, tightly interlocked barbs with strong barbicels forming a firm, durable vane for aerodynamic efficiency

Stiff, firm, smooth texture with a matte finish and strong rigidity along the vane

Robust pale rachis, subtle brownish-grey barring, and sturdy asymmetrical pennaceous structure typical of a Buteo wing feather

Open country, woodlands, deserts, agricultural fields, scrublands, and urban edges

Widespread across North America from Alaska and Canada down through Central America and the Caribbean

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to control rodent and small mammal populations, serving as a key ecological indicator of prey health

Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Cooper's Hawk; distinguished by specific barring patterns, size, and rachis coloration

Red-tailed hawks have incredible eyesight, capable of spotting a mouse from a height of 100 feet, and are the most common hawk used in North American falconry

Good condition with minor wear at the very tip, intact barbs, and no major structural damage