Red-tailed Hawk, Showing its Trademark Red Tail

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Here’s an image of a Red-tailed Hawk showing off its trademark red tail.

I photographed this hawk recently as it perched atop the remnants of a dead palm.

A Red-tailed Hawk has numerous distinguishing characteristics (“field marks”) that identify it as a member of its species. But leaving aside the esoterica, here’s the bottom line: if you see a hawk with a brick red tail, it’s a Red-tailed Hawk. No other species features this tail.

Image made with a Canon R5, Canon EF 400mm f4 DO II lens+Canon EF 1.4x telextender, M setting (auto ISO), ISO 2000, f5.6 @ 1/4000, +2 stops exposure compensation.