Red-tailed Hawk (Red-tail)

A magnificent medium-to-large raptor with a stocky build, broad rounded wings, and a short, wide tail. Adults typically display a rich brown back and head, pale chest with a speckled belly band, and a distinctive brick-red tail.

Rich, uniform chocolate brown across the dorsal vane surface with subtle, faint darker brown barring visible under close lighting, characteristic of an adult morph Red-tailed Hawk secondary feather; pale off-white rachis.

Tightly interlocked pennaceous barbs with strong barbules and hooklets forming a waterproof, durable vane; minimal downy/plumulaceous barbs at the extreme base near the superior umbilicus.

Stiff, smooth, and firm texture with a matte to slightly satin finish; high rigidity along the vane to withstand strong aerodynamic forces during flight.

Rich solid brown coloration, pale robust rachis, broad rounded contour typical of a Buteo secondary, lacking the heavy contrasting black-and-white barring found in some other raptors.

Open country, deserts, scrublands, grasslands, agricultural fields, urban areas, and deciduous or coniferous forests with nearby open foraging terrain.

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

Apex avian predator playing a vital role in controlling rodent and small mammal populations, serving as an important ecological indicator of ecosystem health.

Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, and Rough-legged Hawk feathers can appear similar, but differ subtly in barring density, overall size, and rachis coloration.

Red-tailed Hawks have phenomenal eyesight, capable of spotting a mouse from a height of 100 feet. They are also famous for their raspy, screaming call, which is frequently used in Hollywood films to represent any soaring eagle or hawk.

Good condition; intact vane edges with minimal fraying, clean surface with no obvious fault bars or parasite damage, displaying normal wear consistent with a naturally molted feather.