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

The Red-tailed Hawk is a stalwart of North American skies, instantly recognizable by its broad, rounded wings and, in adults, a rich rust-red tail. This robust raptor is built for soaring over open country, scanning for small mammals with exceptional eyesight. Females are larger than males, a typical trait among raptors. Their calls consist of a characteristic, raspy, descending scream that is often used in media to represent any soaring hawk or eagle.

Muted greyish-brown base with distinctive, dark brown horizontal transverse bands (barring) across the vane; pale whitish-grey margins at the base and tip; central rachis is pale whitish-cream

Tightly interlocked pennaceous structure across the upper portion with a plumulaceous (fluffy) base; barbs are equipped with hooklets for rigidity; slight wear along the edges

Smooth, firm, and matte texture on the pennaceous vane; soft and downy at the proximal base; provides good wind and weather resistance

Bold horizontal brown and grey banding across a broad, rounded feather vane with a sturdy whitish rachis, typical of North American Buteo species

Incredibly adaptable, found in deserts, scrublands, urban areas, roadside corridors, agricultural fields, grasslands, deciduous and coniferous forests from sea level to high elevations

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

As apex avian predators, Red-tailed Hawks play a vital role in regulating rodent and small mammal populations, helping maintain balanced local ecosystems

Swainson's Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, and Ferruginous Hawk. Distinguished by specific banding width, background tone, and proportions unique to Buteo jamaicensis.

Red-tailed Hawks have phenomenal vision—roughly eight times sharper than a human's—allowing them to spot a mouse from a distance of 100 feet in the air. They can reach speeds of over 120 mph during their dramatic steep courtship dives.

Good condition; the vane is mostly intact with minor fraying along the upper left edge and slight fading from exposure, indicating it was naturally molted