Red-tailed Hawk (Red-tail)

A striking raptor feather featuring bold dark brown and white banding. The Red-tailed Hawk is a robust bird of prey with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail, famous for its rusty-red tail found in adults.

Distinctive dark brown transverse bars (bands) across a white to pale cream background, featuring a clean white basal area and a strong, pale central rachis.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous structure with well-developed barbicels forming a strong, waterproof vane, and a small, downy plumulaceous base.

Smooth, stiff, and resilient texture with a matte finish, designed to withstand aerodynamic stress during flight.

Bold dark brown transverse bars alternating with wide white or cream spaces on a broad vane with a rounded tip.

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

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

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to regulate rodent and small mammal populations, serving as an important ecological indicator of environmental health.

Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Rough-legged Hawk feathers can appear similar, but differ in finer barring details and geographic context.

Red-tailed Hawks have phenomenal eyesight, capable of spotting a mouse from a height of 100 feet, and their iconic screech is frequently used in Hollywood films to sound like any soaring eagle or hawk.

Good condition; clean with intact barbs and minimal fraying or wear.