Red-tailed Hawk (Red-tail)

The Red-tailed Hawk is a powerful, heavy-set raptor with broad wings and a short, wide tail. Adults typically feature a rusty-red upper tail, which gives the species its common name. They are masters of the thermals, frequently seen soaring in circles over open fields or perched prominently on roadside utility poles.

Rich chocolate brown background with distinctive, bold white or pale buff barring and mottling across the vanes; dark brown central rachis.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous structure with well-developed barbicels forming a waterproof, durable vane; slight downy plumulaceous tuft at the extreme base.

Stiff, smooth, and resilient with a matte finish; designed to withstand high aerodynamic pressure during soaring and flight.

Bold white barring against a rich dark brown background on a broad, sturdy secondary feather with a strong rachis.

Extremely adaptable, inhabiting deserts, scrublands, coniferous and deciduous woodlands, urban areas, agricultural fields, and tropical rainforests.

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

Apex avian predator that helps regulate populations of small mammals, rodents, and reptiles, serving as a key indicator of ecosystem health.

Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk, though their feathers are smaller and feature finer, more numerous gray-blue bands.

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

Good condition, intact barbs with minimal wear, slight fraying at the extreme base near the calamus.