Birds in the Sky: Red-tailed Hawks

Red-tailed hawk. Photo by Jan Hansen

Today's fly over Shoreline; I'm learning more about red-tailed hawks. 

There are many variations in the coloration of their feathers. 

From the Cornell Lab: 

"Most Red-tailed Hawks are rich brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the wing underside, a dark bar between shoulder and wrist. The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds it’s brown and banded.

“Dark-morph” birds are all chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-morph” birds are reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly."

--Jan Hansen