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

The story of Tuffy, a baby red-tailed hawk who was kidnapped by a family of bald eagles, has come to a sad end following a failed rescue attempt.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 12, 2023

Alan can tell a red-tailed hawk from a sharp-shinned one, having been dragged as a child every spring to the southern shore of Lake Ontario to watch raptors migrate north.

From New York Times • Jun. 21, 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

Suddenly, a red-tailed hawk grabbed Frightful’s jesses, mistaking them for food.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George