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Red-tailed Hawk
Adult--Upper parts dark brown; the feathers marked with rust colour and buff; tail bright chestnut, with a dark band and whitish tip. Under parts: Breast buffy white, with heavy streaks on the upper part, and few or none on the lower part; belly whitish; sides streaked with brown.
Immature--The tail brown instead of chestnut. Length--Male, 20.00; Female, 23.00.
Breeding Range--The Eastern States.
The nest, which is very large and shallow, is made of sticks, moss, and grass, and sometimes feathers; it is placed against the trunk, usually at a considerable height. Pine trees situated in the dense forest are most often used. 2 to 3, and sometimes 4, eggs are laid; they are whitish, either unmarked or heavily blotched with shades of reddish and yellowish brown and lilac, occasionally the markings confined to the larger end. Size--2.36 x 1.80.
These large and handsome hawks usually build their own nests every year; but in some instances they have been known to use the old nests of either hawks or crows.
The breeding season, varying according to locality, begins in April or May; in the neighbourhood of New York nests may be found early in April.