Red-tailed Hawk (Chicken Hawk, Red-tail)

The Red-tailed Hawk is a large, bulky raptor with broad, rounded wings and a short, wide tail. Adults typically feature a rich brown back and pale underparts with a streaked belly band, accompanied by their signature brick-red tail. They are masters of soaring thermal updrafts and are frequently seen perched along highways.

Warm brown and white with bold, dark brown transverse bands or bars across a lighter creamy-brown background, terminating in a dark brownish-black tip.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous structure with well-developed barbicels creating a strong, cohesive vane, featuring slight downy plumulaceous barbs at the extreme base.

Smooth, firm, and relatively stiff vane with a matte finish, designed to withstand aerodynamic forces during flight.

Distinctive alternating dark brown and pale grayish-white banding across a wide vane with a rounded tip, typical of Buteo secondary flight feathers.

Extremely adaptable, found in deserts, scrublands, urban areas, agricultural fields, grasslands, coniferous and deciduous woodlands, from sea level to timberline.

Widespread throughout North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada down through Central America and the Caribbean, being a year-round resident in most regions.

Acts as a top apex avian predator helping to regulate rodent and small mammal populations, serving as a vital biological indicator of ecosystem health.

Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Rough-legged Hawk feathers can appear similar, but can be distinguished by specific bar width, background tint, and subtle size variations.

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

Good condition with intact barbs, clean edges, and no visible major fraying, feather lice damage, or severe sun bleaching.