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

If you saw a red-tailed hawk injured after colliding with an office window, or a bobcat hit by a car, what would you do?

From Seattle Times • Apr. 18, 2024

Tuffy, the immature red-tailed hawk who was “adopted” by a family of bald eagles and studied closely by a group of astonished Bay Area birders, has been found dead.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 6, 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

Did you sell a rooster that turns into a red-tailed hawk to Ms. Griegson on purpose?

From "Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer" by Kelly Jones