Red-tailed Hawk (Eastern or Western subspecies)

This is a quintessential adult tail feather from a Red-tailed Hawk. The bird is a large, stocky raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Adults are famous for their namesake cinnamon-red tails, which they acquire after their first year.

Solid rufous-red or brick-red base color. Lacks heavy barring except for a thin, dark subterminal band usually located near the tip (partially visible or inferred by species standard). The underside is paler orange-white.

Densely interlocked pennaceous barbs throughout most of the vane; stiff and durable structure typical of tail feathers

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat matte. The surface is designed for wind resistance and steering during flight.

Uniform brick-red color on the dorsal side, light colored rachis, and lack of horizontal barring (unlike juvenile feathers).

Open country, including grasslands, fractured woodlands, roadsides, and urban parks with tall trees or telephone poles for perching.

Common across North America, from central Alaska and Canada south to Panama and the West Indies.

Apex predator; primarily controls rodent and rabbit populations. They are essential for maintaining the balance of small mammal populations in their territory.

Ferruginous Hawk (can have reddish tails but usually with more white); Red-shouldered Hawk (tail is black with thin white bands).

The 'scream' of the Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic that it is almost always used in Hollywood movies to represent any eagle or hawk, including the Bald Eagle, which actually has a much weaker chirping call.

Fair to Good. The tip shows significant fraying and wear (breaking of the barbicels), likely from contact with the ground or brush before it was molted.