Red-tailed Hawk
Kingdom: Animalia; Phylum: Chordata; Class: Aves; Order: Accipitriformes; Family: Accipitridae; Genus: Buteo; Species: Buteo jamaicensis
Family: Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Old World Vultures)
- Shape
- Highly asymmetrical with a narrow outer vane and a broad inner vane. The tip is rounded-tapered with a clear notch or emargination on the outer vane typical of soaring raptors.
- Size
- Estimated 8-10 inches in length. This is consistent with the mid-to-outer primaries of a medium-large Buteo species.
- Rarity
- Common; Red-tailed Hawks are the most widespread and frequently seen large hawks in North America.
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Description
The Red-tailed Hawk is a bulky raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. While adults are famous for their brick-red tails, juveniles like the one this feather likely belonged to have brown, banded tails and heavily mottled flight feathers.
Colour & Pattern
Mottled dark brown and creamy white. It features bold, irregular white horizontal translucent bands or mottling against a dark chocolate brown ground color. This pattern is characteristic of juvenile or immature Red-tailed Hawks, as adults typically have more uniform dark brown flight feathers on the dorsal side.
Barb Structure
Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs providing a stiff, airfoil surface. The base shows a small amount of plumulaceous (downy) structure near the calamus.
Texture & Surface
Stiff and smooth with a slight gloss. The leading edge (outer vane) is much narrower and stiffer than the trailing edge to prevent twisting during the downstroke.
Key Features
Large size, strong asymmetry, bold white-to-cream mottling on a dark brown background, and a sharp emargination (narrowing) of the outer vane.
Habitat
Open country, including grasslands, agricultural fields, broken woodlands, and urban areas like Bend, Oregon, where they often perch on telephone poles or tall trees.
Geographic Range
Common year-round resident throughout North America, from central Alaska and Canada south to Panama and the West Indies.
Ecological Role
Top-tier predator; they control rodent and rabbit populations and are essential for maintaining the balance of local ecosystems.
Similar Species
Rough-legged Hawk (shows more distinct, clean banding) and Ferruginous Hawk (typically lighter/whiter with different mottling). Juvenile Northern Goshawk feathers have more organized, distinct bands.
Interesting Facts
In movies and television, the scream of the Red-tailed Hawk is almost always used to represent any eagle or hawk because it sounds so 'piercing' and 'wild.' The actual call of a Bald Eagle is much more chirpy and high-pitched.
Condition Notes
Fair to Good. The feather shows significant separation of the barbs (zippering) and some fraying at the tip, suggesting it was naturally molted or weathered on the ground.
Notes
In Bend OR