Red-tailed Hawk

This feather belongs to the Red-tailed Hawk, a robust raptor with a 4-foot wingspan. While adults are famous for their namesake cinnamon-red tails, their wing feathers remain beautifully barred in brown and white. They are known for their 'kree-eee-ar' scream and their soaring flight style using thermals.

Features a bold contrast of dark chocolate brown and creamy white-to-buff horizontal bands. The bands are somewhat irregular, a characteristic common in immature birds or certain regional morphs. The dorsal side is darker and more vivid than the paler ventral side.

The majority of the feather is pennaceous with tightly interlocked barbs for flight stability. The base (calamus area) features plumulaceous (downy) barbs for insulation. The barbs appear mostly intact with some minor fraying on the trailing edge.

The surface is smooth and stiff to the touch. It has a matte finish typical of raptors, which lack the extreme gloss of waterbirds but possess a slight water-resistant bloom.

Significant brown and white banding, asymmetrical vane shape, large size, and the lack of the fine 'serrations' (comb-like edges) that would identify it as an owl feather.

Extremely versatile, found in open woodlands, grasslands, agricultural fields, alpine meadows, and urban areas. They require high perches for hunting and tall trees or cliff ledges for nesting.

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

Apex predator; they play a vital role in controlling rodent and rabbit populations. They are an 'indicator species' for the health of open-country ecosystems.

Red-shouldered Hawk (feathers are usually smaller with more regular, high-contrast black and white bars) and Great Horned Owl (feathers have a velvety texture and serrated edges).

The raspy, screaming call of the Red-tailed Hawk is so iconic and 'wild' that Hollywood movies almost always use it as the sound effect for any eagle or hawk shown on screen, regardless of the species actually pictured.

Good condition. The barbs are mostly zipped together, though there is some light wear and separation near the tip and the trailing edge, suggesting it was molted naturally after a season of use.