Red-tailed Hawk

This feather represents the iconic 'red tail' character of an adult Buteo jamaicensis. The bird itself is a large, stocky hawk with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Adults are distinguished by their chocolate-brown backs and the brick-red upper surface of the tail.

Distinctive bi-colored transition: the base is a muted brownish-gray, transitioning into a rich, saturated rufous or 'cinnamon' red toward the tip. The rachis is pale at the base and darkens to match the rufous vane.

The distal (top) half is pennaceous and semi-interlocked, while the proximal (base) half is highly plumulaceous (downy) for thermal insulation.

The downy section is extremely soft and airy; the rufous tip has a smooth, matte finish that is soft to the touch.

Transition from gray down to a vibrant rufous tip; symmetrical shape; soft but structured pennaceous edge.

Extremely versatile: found in open woodlands, agricultural fields, grasslands, deserts, and increasingly in urban and suburban environments.

Common throughout North America, from central Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America; semi-migratory in northernmost reaches.

Apex predator; plays a vital role in controlling rodent and rabbit populations. They are key indicators of ecosystem health due to their position in the food chain.

Red-shouldered Hawk feathers (more barred/banded), Ferruginous Hawk (typically lighter or more mottled), or Great Horned Owl (different texture and lack of rufous saturation).

The 'screech' of a Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic and piercing that it is almost always used in Hollywood movies to represent the sound of any eagle or hawk, regardless of the species on screen.

Good condition; minor fraying at the tip suggests it was a naturally molted feather rather than one lost to trauma. No visible fault bars.