Red-tailed Hawk (likely); also called a buteo hawk

A strongly patterned raptor feather with a pale underside and bold brown barring. Red-tailed Hawks are large soaring buteos, recognized by broad wings, a dark patagial mark, and—usually in adults—a rich red tail.

Warm brown upper vane with repeated dark brown transverse bars and a creamy-white lower vane; this pattern is compatible with Red-tailed Hawk coverts or flight feathers, though not diagnostic

Pennaceous over most of the vane, with a loose plumulaceous aftershaft at the base; barbs are frayed and broken on the narrow side

Slender, pale rachis with dense dark-barred barbs on the broad vane and sparse, separated barbs on the narrow vane; basal shaft is relatively flexible

Smooth and matte on intact pennaceous areas, with soft fluffy down at the base; visibly weathered and abraded

Probably the wing, inferred from asymmetry and vane proportions; precise feather number is not determinable

Large size, creamy ground color, broad brown barring, asymmetrical vane, and fluffy basal aftershaft. Feather identification alone is tentative because several hawks share this pattern.

Open country, agricultural land, grassland, desert edges, woodland margins, and increasingly urban areas; nests in trees, cliffs, or tall structures

Widespread across North America, from Alaska and Canada through the United States to Mexico and Central America; northern birds migrate southward

A high-level predator of rodents, rabbits, snakes, and birds, helping regulate prey populations and indicating healthy open-land ecosystems. The species is widespread and generally stable, though habitat loss, rodenticide exposure, and collisions remain concerns.

Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and larger owls may show similar barring. Owl feathers are softer and have comb-like leading edges; exact hawk identification requires comparing a complete feather set and locality.

Red-tailed Hawks can soar for long periods using thermals and are among North America’s most common roadside raptors; their fierce descending call is widely used in films for many eagle scenes.

Raptor feathers have major cultural importance in many Indigenous North American traditions; possession and transfer are regulated in the United States, and found feathers generally must not be kept without authorization.

Search beneath regular roosts, nest trees, fence lines, and hunting perches, especially after molt in late summer and autumn. Photograph both sides, measure the feather, and compare with museum or reliable feather guides.

Old or molted feather in Fair condition: broken barbs, fraying, and basal wear are evident, with no obvious oil staining or fault bars.