Red-tailed Hawk

This is a characteristic adult tail feather of the Red-tailed Hawk. The bird is a large raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Adults are distinguished by the cinnamon-red tail that gives them their name, whereas juveniles have brown, banded tails. They are known for their 'kree-eee-ar' scream often used in movies to represent any eagle or hawk.

Classic adult rufous (brick-red) dorsal surface with a prominent subterminal black band near the tip. The base of the feather fades to white. Faint, thin dark bars are visible across the rufous field.

Densely pennaceous throughout the main vane for aerodynamic stability, transitioning to a soft, plumulaceous (downy) structure at the base (superior umbilicus) for insulation.

Smooth, stiff, and somewhat glossy on the pennaceous vane. The base is notably soft and filamentous. The surface is designed to withstand high wind pressure during flight.

Rufous-red coloration, broad subterminal black band, white base, and significant size common to large Buteo hawks.

Highly adaptable; found in open woodlands, agricultural fields, grasslands, desert scrub, and urban parks with tall nesting trees or telephone poles.

Widespread across North America, from central Alaska and Canada south through Mexico and Central America to the West Indies.

Apex predator primarily feeding on rodents and small mammals, acting as a crucial regulator of pest populations in both rural and suburban environments.

Red-shouldered Hawk (smaller, darker bands), Ferruginous Hawk (typically lack the solid black subterminal band on red morphs), and juvenile Red-tailed Hawks (brown/gray banded tails).

The Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic that its raspy scream is almost always used as the sound effect for the Bald Eagle in Hollywood films because the eagle's actual voice is much chirpier and less intimidating.

Good condition. There is minor fraying at the tip and some separation of the barbs (splits), likely due to natural wear or 'preening' stress before the feather was molted.