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

For every red-tailed hawk, there are nearly two lizards.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

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

The male red-tailed hawk shot out of the woodlot.

From "Frightful's Mountain" by Jean Craighead George