THE ROBERT REDFORD OF RAPTORS: THE RED-TAILED HAWK

Familiar to most wildlife enthusiasts, the beautiful Red-tailed Hawk is North America's most common hawk. At 1.5 to 4.4 pounds, "red tails" are quite large with broad, rounded wings, and a relatively short, wide tail. While plumage variations are found in the six North American subspecies, and between juvenile and adult, most are rich brown above, and pale below.

Like many raptors, red-tails are sexually dimorphic, a fancy way of saying that there are differences between male and female of the same species. For red-tails, the dimorphism applies to size. Like Katie Holmes in heels standing next to Tom Cruise, female red-tails are up to 25% larger.

Preferring to hunt in open areas, red-tails can often be seen perching on electric poles or fence lines, when not soaring in high, wide circles. As city dwellers well know, these hawks have no problem adjusting to urban habitats.

These raptors are monogamous and may mate for life. Behavior during the breeding season involves highflying acrobatics with deep dives and steep climbs. Males will sometimes grasp female talons during flight, resulting in a brief tumbling period.

One of the most recognizable sounds in the outdoors is the 2-3 second loud "kee-eeee-ar!" cry of the red-tail, usually given while soaring. This distinct vocalization is a favorite of movie makers and is commonly inserted into films anytime birds are shown -- even if they aren't Red-tailed Hawks!

Article photo: The distinctive “kee-eeee-ar!” cry of the Red-tailed Hawk is commonly used in movies even when the bird shown isn’t a red-tail!