Red-tailed Hawk
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Chordata, Class: Aves, Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae, Genus: Buteo, Species: Buteo jamaicensis · Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) · Secondary flight feather (Remiges), likely S1-S4
Species
Buteo jamaicensis (immature)
Feather Type
Secondary flight feather (Remiges), likely S1-S4
Family
Accipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
Shape
Relatively symmetrical but with a slightly narrower leading edge (outer vane). The tip is rounded, and the overall profile is broad and rectangular, typical of soaring hawks.
Size
Estimated 8-10 inches in length. This is consistent with the secondary feathers of a large Buteo, which generally range between 20-26 cm.
Rarity
Very Common; one of the most frequently seen and widely distributed raptors in North America.
Color & Pattern
Features 6-7 distinct dark chocolate brown bands against a creamy white to pale grey background. Unlike adult Red-tailed Hawks which have a solid rufous tail, immature birds have these characteristic brown bands across both wings and tail.
Barb Structure
The upper two-thirds are pennaceous with tightly interlocking barbs for flight stability. The base (calamus area) features plumulaceous (downy) barbs for insulation. The barbs appear mostly intact with some minor separation.
Texture & Surface
The surface is matte with a slightly stiff, resilient texture. It lacks the velvety 'silent flight' nap of an owl feather, appearing smooth and designed for high-altitude soaring.
Description
This is a secondary feather from an immature Red-tailed Hawk. These birds are bulky raptors with broad, rounded wings and short, wide tails. Juveniles lack the eponymous red tail, instead displaying brown barred feathers like this one until their second year. They are famous for their 'screaming' descending call often used in movies.
Key Features
Heavy dark-brown banding, white rachis, broad width, and lack of rufous (red) pigment, which diagnoses this as a juvenile specimen.
Habitat
Extremely versatile: found in open woodlands, grasslands, agricultural fields, broken forests, and even urban parks or highway medians.
Geographic Range
Widespread across North America, from central Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America. Most populations are year-round residents.
Condition Notes
Excellent condition. The vane is full and the terminal edge shows very little wear, suggesting it may have been molted recently at the end of the breeding season.
Interesting Facts
The raspy, screaming cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic that it is almost always used as the dubbed-over sound effect for Bald Eagles in cinema, as actual eagle calls are relatively weak chirps.
Ecological Role
Apex predator and vital rodent control. They primarily eat small mammals (voles, mice, rabbits) and reptiles, maintaining balance in grassland and forest-edge ecosystems.
Similar Species
Red-shouldered Hawk (smaller, narrower dark bands), Broad-winged Hawk (fewer, thicker bands), or Cooper's Hawk (more tapered shape, different banding spacing).