red-tailed hawk

American  

[red-teyld] / ˈrɛdˌteɪld /

noun

1. a North American hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, dark brown above, whitish with black streaking below, and having a reddish-brown tail.

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Etymology

Origin of red-tailed hawk

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805

Example Sentences

In fact, any birder will tell you that the sky-rending screech that accompanies bald eagles in most media depictions actually belongs to a red-tailed hawk.

From Slate • Feb. 21, 2026

“There goes a band-tailed pigeon right over there,” Wood exclaimed, turning his attention from a red-tailed hawk.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 11, 2023

A baby red-tailed hawk has been adopted by a pair of eagles in Northern California, USA Today reports.

From New York Times • Jun. 28, 2023

If Pale Male did live past 30, his life was one of the longest ever recorded for a red-tailed hawk.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2023

As I hop from rock to rock beneath shady basswoods and hemlocks, I hear the cry of the red-tailed hawk who nests on the mountain crest.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George