Acrylic on canvas

Red-tailed hawks are large North American raptors with a wingspan of about 43–57 inches and a body length of 18–26 inches; adults are best known for the reddish-brown tail that gives the species its name. They occupy diverse habitats from deserts to forests and are common along highways and open fields, where they hunt small mammals, birds, and reptiles using keen eyesight to spot prey from high perches or while soaring. Red-tailed hawks mate for life, build large stick nests often reused and renovated each year, and their distinctive high, piercing scream is frequently used in film soundtracks to represent birds of prey.