**Description:** The most common hawk in North America, featuring a signature cinnamon-red tail (in adults) and broad, rounded wings.
**Size & Weight:** 18–26 inches long with a wingspan of 3.5–4.8 feet. Weighs 1.5–3.5 lbs.
**Sexual Dimorphism:** Females are noticeably larger and heavier than males.
**Identification:** Look for the dark "belly band" of streaks across the white underside. Their piercing scream is the classic "eagle" sound used in movie soundtracks.
**Habitat:** Often seen perched on utility poles or soaring over meadows near Buzzard Swamp.