The red-tailed hawk (sometimes colloquially called “hen hawk” or “chicken hawk”) is the largest member of the hawk family, generally weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. “Red tails” are also tall and have more than a 4-feet wing span, As with most raptors, the female is nearly 1/3 larger than the male and may have a wingspan of 56 inches.

Red tails can be distinguished from other North American hawks by their eponymous broad, short, tail that fans out in flight and which is uniformly brick-red above and light buff-orange below. They live year-round in South Carolina, nesting in February and March.

They hunt a wide range of prey, including small mammals like mice and rabbits, as well as birds, reptiles, fish, and insects. Despite being nicknamed “chicken hawks”, they do not have a reputation as being chicken killers. And it’s rare for a red-tailed hawk to go after dogs or cats.

Red tails are great at co-parenting, building “clutches,”  taking turns sitting on the eggs, and raising their young together. They have a thrilling, raspy scream that is quite impressive. Whenever a hawk or eagle appears onscreen, in film or TV,  no matter what species, the shrill cry on the soundtrack is almost always a red-tailed hawk.

Red-tailed hawks frequently use tall trees, power lines, and other high structures as perches to scan for prey in open areas. Their eyesight is up to 8 times stronger than a human's, enabling them to spot a mouse from up to 100 feet in the air.  They can't move their eyes, so they must turn their heads to look to the side. 

Red-tailed hawks are one of the few birds capable of "kiting," a behavior where they can hold themselves still against the wind with their wings spread, much like a kite. This energy-efficient method allows them to gain altitude without flapping, often forming wide circles while scanning the ground for prey.