Portrait of a Red-Tailed Hawk

Little Bird // Photography posted a photo:

Red-Tailed Hawk
(Buteo jamaicensis)

Red-tailed hawks are the
most widespread and familiar large hawk in North America. An inhabitant of open country, they are commonly seen perched on roadside poles or sailing over fields and woods. Their bulky and broad-winged bodies are perfectly suited for effortless soaring. Adult red-tailed hawks are easily recognized by the trademark reddish-brown tail, although the rest of their plumage can be quite variable.

Red-tailed hawks are excellent hunters, and will eat a variety of small mammals, birds, reptiles, and other creatures depending on the season and their location. Mammals such as voles, rats, rabbits, and ground squirrels often major prey. They will also eat many bird species (up to size of pheasant), as well as reptiles, especially snakes. Red-tailed hawks may also dine on bats, frogs, toads, insects, and various other creatures.