Red-tailed Hawk (Chicken Hawk)

The Red-tailed Hawk is a robust, adaptable raptor with broad wings and a short, wide tail. Adults typically feature a rich brick-red tail which gives the species its common name, though juveniles possess brown, finely-barred tails. They are masterful soaring hunters, frequently seen perching on roadside poles or circling high above open fields.

Distinctive horizontal dark brown barring on a white and greyish background, typical of Red-tailed Hawk plumage variation

Pennaceous upper portion with tightly interlocked barbs and strong barbicels, transitioning into a fluffy plumulaceous downy base with an afterfeather

Smooth and firm along the upper pennaceous vane, becoming soft and fluffy at the base, with a matte, non-glossy finish

Distinctive dark brown and white horizontal barring across a symmetrical vane, combined with a stark white robust rachis and a downy plumulaceous base

Open country, woodlands, deserts, urban areas, scrublands, and agricultural fields with scattered elevated perches

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

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to regulate rodent and small mammal populations, serving as a key indicator of healthy, balanced local ecosystems

Cooper's Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, and Broad-winged Hawk, though their feathers are generally smaller and feature different scaling or narrow barring patterns

Red-tailed Hawks have phenomenal 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 with intact barbs, clean shaft, and no obvious signs of severe fading, parasite damage, or structural breakage