Red-tailed Hawk (Redtail)

The Red-tailed Hawk is a large, powerful raptor with broad wings and a short, wide tail. Adults typically feature a striking brick-red tail which is diagnostic in flight and perching. They are master soarers, frequently spotted circling over open fields or perched on roadside poles scanning for small mammals.

Rich cinnamon-red or brownish-grey with prominent dark horizontal subterminal bands and fine transverse barring across a lighter background, typical of an adult Red-tailed Hawk tail feather.

Pennaceous vane with tightly interlocked barbs and barbules via hooklets along most of the length, transitioning to slightly looser plumulaceous structure near the base.

Stiff, smooth, and matte texture with high rigidity along the rachis to withstand aerodynamic pressures during soaring and diving.

Distinctive reddish-brown or rufous coloration with dark subterminal banding across a broad, rounded tail feather.

Extremely adaptable, found in deserts, scrublands, urban areas, mountainous regions, agricultural fields, and broadleaf or coniferous forests.

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

Acts as a top avian apex predator helping to regulate populations of small rodents, rabbits, and other small mammals, serving as an important ecological indicator of grassland and forest health.

Rough-legged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Swainson's Hawk tail feathers, which can be distinguished by specific patterns of barring, tail length, and ground color.

The Red-tailed Hawk's iconic screaming call is frequently used in Hollywood films to sound like any eagle or hawk, regardless of whether a bald eagle or other raptor is actually shown on screen.

Good condition with intact barbs, clean vane edges, and no major signs of severe fading or structural damage.