Red-tailed Hawk

A striking flight feather from a Red-tailed Hawk, featuring the classic raptor banding pattern. The contrast between the dark brown bars and the lighter background provides excellent camouflage and disruption of the bird's silhouette when viewed from below. Red-tailed Hawks are large, broad-winged Buteos, known for their soaring flight and characteristic raspy scream.

Distinctive dark brown banding on a lighter background. The lighter areas are white to pale gray near the base, becoming more brownish toward the tip. The dark bands are relatively broad and evenly spaced.

Pennaceous (tightly interlocked) along the main vane, with plumulaceous (downy) barbs at the base.

Sturdy white/pale rachis at the base, darkening slightly toward the tip. Barbs are dense and stiff.

Smooth and stiff, typical of a flight feather designed for aerodynamic lift.

Wing, likely a secondary flight feather based on the broad, slightly asymmetrical shape.

Bold, dark brown banding on a lighter (white/pale gray to light brown) background. Broad, sturdy shape characteristic of Buteo flight feathers.

Open country, woodlands, prairie groves, mountains, plains, roadsides. Very adaptable.

Breeds throughout most of North America, from central Alaska and northern Canada south to Panama and the West Indies. Year-round resident in much of its range.

An apex predator and crucial part of the ecosystem, controlling populations of rodents, rabbits, and other small mammals.

Other large Buteos like the Broad-winged Hawk or Red-shouldered Hawk can have banded flight feathers, but they generally differ in size, band width, and contrast. Owls also have banded feathers but with a soft, fringed edge for silent flight.

The raspy cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is often used in movies and television to represent any eagle or hawk. They are one of the most widely distributed and familiar hawks in North America.

Hawk feathers hold cultural and spiritual significance for many Indigenous peoples of North America, often used in ceremonies and traditional regalia. In the US, it is illegal to possess these feathers without a permit under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Look for these feathers in open areas, along woodland edges, or under utility poles and tall trees where hawks frequently roost and hunt. The bold banding is a primary clue.

Good condition, appears freshly molted with intact barbs and only minor wear at the tip.