Red-tailed Hawk (Common Red-tail, Hen Hawk)

A striking reddish-brown and greyish contour feather from the Red-tailed Hawk, a classic North American raptor recognized by its broad wings and distinctive rusty tail in adults. These birds are master soarers, often seen perched on roadside poles or wheeling gracefully in thermal updrafts.

Warm reddish-brown (rufous) tip transitioning into a greyish-brown shaft area with subtle lighter barbs, showing typical melanin-based pigmentation

Pennaceous at the upper tip transitioning into somewhat separated or slightly worn plumulaceous barbules near the base, intact but showing signs of separation

Stiff yet flexible rachis with a smooth upper vane and softer, slightly separated barbs toward the base; matte finish

Warm rufous-brown coloration combined with grey-brown tones, sturdy pale rachis, and the medium-large size characteristic of a Buteo contour feather

Extremely adaptable, inhabiting deserts, scrublands, urban areas, scrub, agricultural fields, grasslands, deciduous and coniferous forests

Widespread across North America, from Alaska and northern Canada down through the United States, Mexico, and Central America, and into the West Indies

Acts as an apex avian predator helping to regulate populations of small mammals, rodents, and rabbits, serving as a key indicator of ecosystem health

Rough-legged Hawk, Swainson's Hawk, and Ferruginous Hawk feathers can appear similar, distinguished by finer pattern variations, edge markings, and exact coloration

The Red-tailed Hawk's iconic screeching call is frequently used in Hollywood films to represent any soaring eagle or hawk, regardless of whether the bird shown is actually a red-tail

Fair to Good condition; moderate wear along the edges with some separation of the barbs toward the base, indicating it has spent time exposed to the elements after being molted