Red-tailed Hawk

This is a classic secondary feather from the Red-tailed Hawk. The bird itself is a large raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. While adults are famous for their brick-red tails, their wing feathers remain beautifully barred in brown and white variations throughout their life.

Features bold, chocolate-brown transverse bands (bars) against a creamy-white to pale buff background. The dark bands are roughly equal in width to the light spaces.

Densely packed pennaceous barbs designed for aerodynamic lifting; the base shows some plumulaceous (downy) structure for insulation.

The dorsal surface is semi-glossy and smooth to reduce air friction; the ventral side is matte with a slightly 'silvery' sheen.

The combination of broad width, bold dark-brown banding on a light background, and its significant size (larger than a crow's but smaller than an eagle's) identify it specifically as a Buteo secondary.

Extremely versatile; found in open woodlands, prairies, agricultural fields, deserts, and increasingly in urban parks and roadsides.

Ubiquitous across North America, from central Alaska and Canada southward through Mexico and Central America to the West Indies.

Top-tier predator that controls rodent and rabbit populations. They are essential for a balanced ecosystem and serve as an indicator of environmental health.

Red-shouldered Hawk (smaller, sharper white/black contrast), Great Horned Owl (softer texture, fringed edges), and Cooper's Hawk (narrower, different proportions).

The 'screech' of a Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic and 'wild' that Hollywood uses it as the dubbed-over sound effect for almost every eagle or hawk shown in movies.

The feather appears to be in good condition with minor fraying along the trailing edge, suggesting it was likely a naturally molted specimen rather than lost to injury.