Red-Tailed Hawk - Physical Characteristics
RED-TAILED HAWK PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Red-Tailed Hawks are part of the buteo family of raptors. Buteos have a meaty body and long, broad wings. In flight, their wingbeats are heavy. Based on region, there are many subspecies of Red-Tailed Hawks some include, light/dark morph, Harlan’s, Krider’s, and Costaricencis, which are found in Costa Rica and Panama.
Most Red-Tailed Hawks found in North America are chocolate brown on their back feathers with light colored underparts. Adults also have the signature red tail. They have a streaked belly band and lightly barred chest with dark patagial marks. The Eastern subspecies can present with a red tail with a black band at the tip.
The Juveniles are much different in coloring and are brown with white. Their belly band is more asymmetrical as the feathers develop. Juvenile Red-Tailed Hawks tail is brown with narrow black bands, they also have yellow eyes. It is a bit more challenging to identify the Juveniles in flight, but their chest and belly band provide a good source of reference.
The adults’ red tail feathers are red on top and whitish underneath. In flight, the adults have a white tail but in certain light and positioning, you can see through and identify the red. Juveniles are also white underneath in flight, but they have brown tails with dark barring.
The Red-Tailed Hawk is the second largest buteo hawk within the species. The Ferruginous Hawk is the largest buteo. Male Red-Tailed Hawks are approximately 22” and females are 25” in length. In flight, they wingspan reaches 52” which is impressive for a raptor.
For the most part, they are simple to identify with their distinct red tail, although juveniles can get tricky as they do appear like several other juvenile raptor species. Red-Tailed Hawks do have a distinct flight pattern which can aid in identification. They typically soar in slow, fluid circle motions.
Overall, Red-Tailed Hawks are a bit more flexible when it comes to other raptors and animals within their environment. This is true of their own kind as well. In some wildlife rehabilitation facilities, Red-Tailed Hawks are used as foster parents. When nestlings come in injured without their parents, as they heal from their injuries, they receive the nurturing and parenting they need from one of the foster raptors.
It is important to note that we should never misinterpret flexibility for weakness. Red-Tailed Hawks, like all raptors, can be extremely fierce and aggressive. This is especially true when they are defending their territory or nest. They are fearless in their pursuit and have even been known to chase after Great Horned Owls as well as Bald Eagles. Check out cool Red-Tail vs Eagle video here
Red-Tailed Hawks are carnivorous, and their typical menu selection consists of mammals such as voles, mice, rats, rabbits, and squirrels. However, they are not picky, and they will seek out birds such as pheasants, starlings, and blackbirds as well as snakes. Red-Tailed Hawks have also been known to feast on carrion.
Red-Tailed Hawk Identification & Physical Characteristics
RED-TAILED HAWK IDENTIFICATION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
They are extremely patient hunters, and Red-Tailed Hawks are known to sit atop a telephone pole or perched in a tree for hours at a time. When they find a prime location, they simply wait for the perfect opportunity to seize the moment and dive in for their next feast.
They have a diverse range for habitat and Red-Tailed Hawks can be found all over the United States throughout the year. Some also breed up north, and in Canada during breeding and nesting season. They typically live in open country, woodlands, plains, deserts, open grassland, and prairie groves. They are also known to live in the mountains as well as city parks and neighborhoods.
They prefer to live in nature with plenty of open space and trees, but they are adaptable. If there is prime hunting in the area with a good utility pole or high tree line, they will move into a neighborhood. Some have even been spotted nesting outside of apartment buildings.
Red-Tailed Hawks are one of the raptor species that will mate for life, and they only separate upon death. During mating season, they display quite a show with their courtship behaviors. They dance in the sky in high circles, with legs extended, vocalizing sharp, shrill cries. During this process they will even lock talons and the males will pass food to the females.
Typically, they nest in high trees, but they will nest on the side of cliffs, buildings as well as roofs if there is plenty of nutrition available in the area. The nests are usually up high and can range up to 120’ off the ground. Red-Tailed Hawks generally will return to their previous nesting locations each year if the nest is still available and prime for hunting.
Both the male and female take part in the nest building activities. Whether it is a new nest or redecorating from previous years, both will gather materials to line the nest with sticks, bark, leafy branches and dry vegetation to make a soft lined bowl for the eggs.
The female will lay up to five eggs and incubate them for just over a month. Once hatched, it takes about six weeks for the nestlings to become fledglings, where they will begin to explore their surroundings. They stumble around as fledglings for another couple months, staying close to their parents before they are ready to begin the journey to the independent life.
Red-Tailed Hawks are loyal throughout this process. The male and female both take part in egg incubation as well as the nutritional needs for the young nestlings. As they become fledglings, the journey does not end. Even as the young bloods bumble around, trying to get their bearings, their Red-Tailed Hawk parents are right there, supporting them on the path.
Even when they become juveniles and are fully flighted, some Red-Tail Hawks will stay close to their young the first season, if they stay in the area. Through their behavior, the Red-Tailed Hawk family illustrates loyalty and family bonds.
Red-Tailed Hawk - Symbolism
RED-TAILED HAWK SYMBOLISM INTRODUCTION
As Spirit Animals, Red-Tailed Hawks symbolize stability, foundation, root chakra, community, loyalty, family, power, strength, resilience, vision, guidance, purpose, wisdom, intuition, and adaptability. Red-Tailed Hawks can guide us to stay grounded, find our spiritual and physical foundation, find our tribe or community, and work with the energy of our family bonds.
The Red-Tailed Hawk guides us on our inner world journey, giving us strength and courage to identify and release fears, emotional wounds and outdated tribal beliefs. They teach us to trust ourselves and tap into our inner wisdom for guidance. Part of Red-Tailed Hawk medicine is they can teach us to trust our intuition and allow our inner wisdom to guide us. They lead us to our meaning and purpose in life while helping us navigate the obstacles that arise on the journey.
SYMBOLIC KEYWORDS
· Stability / Foundation
· Root Chakra
· Family / Community
· Loyalty
· Power
· Wisdom
· Intuition
· Strength
· Resilience
· Vision
· Guidance
· Purpose
· Adaptability
KEYWORD SYMBOLISM DEFINITIONS
Stability, Foundation, Root Chakra
The Red-Tailed Hawk typically stays in the same habitat year-round. If they locate a good source of nutrition and shelter, they are prone to stay close to this area. If they build a nest, this is a sure sign of a long-term commitment made to the location. They value the comfort and stability of home and there is security in the routine.
With their Red Tail, they are connected to our Root Chakra. Our first chakra is our tribal power center, representing family, group bonds and community. This chakra is where we develop our feelings of security, stability, safety, survival and belonging in the world. This is also where we develop our tribal beliefs from our ancestors, family and group bonds such as school, friends and teachers.
As we develop throughout our lives from childhood to adulthood, we carry with us the tribal lessons we have learned along the way. Some are deeply ingrained while others we literally have no clue are lessons. For some it may be about retirement, they grew up hearing from their parents that once you hit 65, life is over and it’s all downhill from there. While for others it may be around money and how if one is not rich, there is no way to succeed in life.
These beliefs stay with us throughout our lives until we start to question the authority they hold over us. The Red-Tailed Hawk reminds us that we have the inner strength and resilience to dig deep into our internal landscape and discover the fears, emotions and outdated beliefs that are hindering our lives.
In doing so, we can release the hold of the past and allow much needed change into our lives. The sky may get turbulent for a while, as tearing down the old to make way for the new is not a light switch process. But on the other side is clear skies and smooth flying. There is balance within.
Family, Community, Loyalty
The Red-Tailed Hawk mates for life and remains together until one makes the transition from this life. They are connected and bonded. The males and females both take part in nest building as well as the egg incubation and the family raising process. Even if their nest gets destroyed in the middle of nesting season, they are loyal and will try again to rebuild and bring new life into the world.
In nature, most of the time, Red-Tailed Hawks look the other way when it comes to other raptors or small birds in their area. They seem to have an understanding that we all need to exist in the world and navigate our paths. In the wildlife rehabilitation setting, some Red-Tailed Hawks will serve as foster parents to young raptors as they recover from their injuries, helping them grow and flourish into juvenile raptors.
They illustrate the value of family, loyalty and community. Even though daily life is typically a solitary one, mixed with many hours of patient hunting to secure nutrition, they also are bonded to their family. The Red-Tailed Hawk shows us the value of being part of a community vs always going it alone.
For many, being independent comes naturally and doing things alone can have great value. There is a less chance for interruption or distractions as well as miscommunications or missed details. On the flip side, some prefer this approach as a form of control. Trusting someone else to complete something and do it correctly, just isn’t possible in their world.
In times like this, we need to ask ourselves why we feel this way. What could possibly go wrong in letting someone help or take the lead? Asking ourselves these self-reflective questions can guide us on our path to inner discovery. Much of the time, our answers are found in past pains or memories that are long overdue to be released.
The Red-Tailed Hawk reminds us to look within for the answers we seek. We have the inner power to release the hold from the past and retain the wisdom from the experience. They teach us that people are an important part of the journey and embracing others as well as cultivating deeper relationships are what help us continue to grow and evolve.
Red-Tailed Hawk - Symbolism
KEYWORD DEFINITION SYMBOLISM CONTINUED
Wisdom & Intuition
Red-Tailed Hawks have powerful vision and intuition. From high atop a telephone pole, they survey the surrounding area in search of their next meal. Even if they are looking left, they can sense a movement to the right, and quickly turn to zero in on their prey. With precision and focus, they dive at roaring speeds to secure their target. They have no fear, as they trust they will succeed on their quest.
The Red Tail Hawk teaches us the importance of connecting with, trusting, and embracing our inner wisdom. Their presence in our life can signify the need for deeper connection with the spiritual world and the importance of trusting our intuition and taking action on the guidance received.
Our intuitive guidance system is like a muscle, the more we use it, the stronger it becomes. Early on, it can get tricky as the insights coming through often do not make sense. This is because our rational mind lives in survival mode and is always reviewing how we will survive. Will we have shelter, money, power etc.
Often, the guidance we receive can cause further confusion, as it requires change. Sometimes the changes are careers, relationships or living situations. And other times, it is embarking on the spiritual journey to find one’s true self and life path. Any of these messages can cause angst, as they take us out of our comfortable routines and familiar surroundings.
The Red-Tailed Hawk reminds us of the importance of trusting ourselves and our intuition. Change can be frightening but if we refuse to take action on the guidance we receive, we may miss a potential opportunity in our lives. On the flip side, ignoring insight will keep us stagnate in our current existence.
When we cultivate trust and inner strength, we develop the capacity to act on our intuitive guidance. We do not hesitate out of fear because we know everything happens for a reason and by design and that this is the path to our soul’s calling.
Power, Strength and Resilience
Red-Tailed Hawks are powerful raptors. They are the second largest Buteo with a wingspan reaching 52” in length. In nature, they are not picky about delicacies. Red-Tailed Hawks will feast on mammals, birds and even carrion. They are strong survivors and resilient within their environment.
Symbolically, Red-Tailed Hawks represent courage, strength, and resilience. Whether we are faced with a difficult decision or a life altering change moment, we can find a way to rise above our circumstances.
The Red-Tailed Hawk reminds us that we have the inner strength and personal power to overcome challenges and obstacles in our lives. With clear sight, we can let go of the chaos of the mind and focus on what matters. With courage and determination, we can find a path forward.
Vision
With their soaring flight, Red-Tailed Hawks are energetically connected to the element of Air, the substance of life’s vital breath, representing intelligence, mental awareness, clarity, and liberation. With their powerful sight and ability to see beyond the surface, Red Tailed Hawks symbolize clarity, vision, guidance and precision.
Healing begins on the inside and flows outward to the physical body. When we get stuck in negative thought patterns, our judgement gets clouded, and we may begin to make poor decisions. As we leave these negative patterns unchecked, it can manifest into emotional instability and physical illness.
With focus and clear vision, we can get to the root cause of our inner struggles hindering us from growth. We can release our past traumas, fears, self-limiting beliefs, and integrate our shadows. We can find a path to healing mind, body and soul.
By embracing our personal power, inner strength, and wisdom, we can restore inner balance and find peace within. When we allow our inner light to shine and true healing begins, there is freedom.
Guidance & Purpose
As Spirit Animals, Red-Tailed Hawks can guide us to our true-life purpose. As we navigate the spiritual journey, they can help us overcome obstacles that arise on our path, helping us to maintain clarity in heart and mind.
We all have a purpose in life, for some it may be to learn how to embody empathy and compassion, while for others it may be to become advocates or healers. While on the surface it may appear they are not connected, digging deeper, they can become one.
Our Soul Life Lessons come in many forms from virtuous traits to specific paths in life, like ministry for example. However, all paths lead to the same road. If our lesson is to show empathy and compassion, embracing the path of advocate or healer would serve that purpose.
The Red-Tailed Hawk teaches us to keep an open mind and embrace the unexpected path. With clear sight we can connect our lessons and find a path to serve others through our life’s purpose.
Adaptability
Red-Tailed Hawks can survive in various climates from the cold of the East to the heat of the West. They are very adaptable with a diverse habitat ranging from forests to parks and neighborhoods. Even in their choice of menu options, they maintain an open mind to ensure nutritional needs are met.
Change often comes into our lives unexpectedly, knocking us off our path. It can cause confusion and chaos within as we try to navigate the complexities of thoughts and emotions of our situation. It is easy to get stuck in this place, making it impossible to move forward.
The Red-Tailed Hawks teaches us to embrace our personal power and let go of the fears, doubts, and self-limiting beliefs holding us back. With determination and courage, we find a clear path and embrace the changes that need to take place in our lives. Change brings transformation, rebirth and new beginnings. Fly free on the wings of change.
Red-Tailed Hawk - Spirit Animal Symbolism
SPIRIT ANIMAL
As Spirit Animals, Red-Tailed Hawks can guide us on our path to self-discovery as we embark on the journey into our inner landscape. They can teach us to release our fears, honor ourselves and others, and find our purpose in life. Red-Tailed Hawks can help us stay grounded and build a strong spiritual foundation while honoring our roots and tribes.
Root Chakra – All Is One
Red-Tail Hawks develop a strong foundation in their lives. They prefer to locate a habitat that can withstand the test of time. During mating and nesting season, they are committed and diligent to bring new life into the world, while supporting the young raptors into their juvenile lives. Red-Tailed hawks mate for life and both the male and female take part in the nesting, incubation, and family raising process.
Symbolically, the Red-Tailed Hawk represents foundation, stability, community, family, and loyalty. With their red tail feathers, Red-Tailed Hawks are connected to our Root Chakra, our tribal power center. Our Root Chakra is the first of our survival energy centers and is connected to our experiences related to tribal and group dynamics, including family bonds. This is where we learn the sacred truth that All is One.
The symbolic meaning behind the Root Chakra is that we are all part of one spiritual community. Part of our spiritual growth is to learn the lessons from this power center related to honor, loyalty, justice, family roots, group and community bonds, creating and maintaining a spiritual foundation, and managing physical power for survival.
The imbalances that can occur within the Root Chakra relate to feelings of judgement, abandonment, rejection, and being an outcast. This charka houses our fears of humiliation and being alone. This energy center is also home to our survival fears and our feelings of safety, security and stability.
Many times, the root cause of our suffering is related to our tribal beliefs. These can become ingrained in our psyche as we can develop them starting at birth. If as babies, we did not have a stable family life this can hinder our ability to develop long-term relationships with others as we become adults.
For those that had stability in childhood, we are not unscathed by tribal beliefs. If our families believe other races or religions are bad, we tend to carry this view as well. The same is true with superstitions and old school beliefs such as never speaking about your personal life because it is inappropriate, to ingrained thoughts such as bad things only happen to good people, not the sinister ones.
It is up to us as individuals to determine our own personal belief system and break out of the mold of others. We are not meant to ascribe to the beliefs of others our entire lives as there is a balance between tribal thought and individual thought. This is further illustrated by our survival chakras, Root (Family, Tribe chakra), through to our Sacral (Relationship chakra) and then to our Solar Plexus (Individuality chakra).
The Red-Tailed Hawk can guide us on our journey within. Helping us find this inner balance between group thought and individual thought while honoring ourselves and those around us. They can guide us to develop a strong spiritual foundation and release the hold of our outdated beliefs. Guiding us to find peace and balance in our lives.
Purpose
Red-Tailed Hawks symbolize vision, wisdom, guidance, and purpose. With their powerful vision, they can see beyond what we can with our naked eye. For the Red-Tailed Hawk, the tiniest detail will not escape them, from a brief movement in the bushes to a tiny head, carefully peering out from the ground, nothing gets past their watchful eye.
Their mission has a purpose. The Red-Tailed Hawk patiently waits for the perfect time to take action as they understand there is no need to act in haste as this could lead to unsuccessful results. Even when there are those that come into the environment and want to sway them from their mission, they are steadfast in their quest.
In the Spring, it is common to see little birds and smaller raptors chasing Hawks and Eagles. They do this primarily to chase raptors away from their nests. However, there are some that will occasionally just do it to harass them. There is even a small raptor that gets in on this action, the American Kestrel.
The American Kestrel may be the smallest raptor, but don’t let their size fool you, they are an intensely fierce predator. They are known to chase and attack hawks, especially Red-Tailed Hawks. The American Kestrel zips and zags at warp speed, diving with precision, chasing the Red-Tailed Hawk. This savage little raptor is laser focused, intent on making contact to secure victory.
Instead of engaging, the Red-Tailed Hawk chooses to maintain his purpose over silly reindeer games. After all, the Red-Tailed Hawk is also a fierce predator and is approximately 70% larger than an American Kestrel, so in reality, very little energy is needed to make this annoyance go away.
The Red-Tailed Hawk reminds us that there will always be people that come into our lives that gnaw at us with their negativity, gossip, or judgement. It is up to us to rise above and see the experience for what it is trying to teach us. These experiences come into our awareness to lead us to learn our Soul Life Lessons.
Perhaps the lesson is to stay true to yourself and honor the path you have chosen, never swaying from your purpose. At times, it can be difficult to honor our path in life. If it falls into the realm of unsafe or abnormal, we can receive criticism from those around us, especially our intimate connections.
It is important that we honor our true self and our true path and rise above the judgement of others. Whether we want to start a spiritual community, become a healer, writer or an artist, it is often the road less traveled that leads to liberation. There is freedom in living in the truth of who we are and being strong enough to express this to others.
Or perhaps, the lesson is to hold the mirror up to yourself to see how you may be behaving towards others. The people that are placed in our lives are done so strategically, and at just the right moment. The most painful relationships we have can offer the most profound truths into our behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.
All of our experiences and the people we encounter in life are here to teach us lessons for growth on our journey. These lessons help us develop inner strength, resilience and stamina so we can release the fears, pain and memories from the past that cause our negative behaviors.
As we release the hold of the past, we make space within. We begin to feel lighter and have clarity. We gain insight into what we are passionate about and what motivates us. We make space for our true nature to come through.
As a Spirit Guide the Red-Tailed Hawk can guide us to our true purpose in life. They can teach us how to let go of our survival fears and fear of judgement and rejection of what others may say or do. They empower us to honor ourselves and our true path, so we can evolve, spiritually mature, and live a peaceful, fulfilling life.
Red-Tailed Hawk - Totem & Power Animal Symbolism
TOTEM ANIMAL
For those born under the Red-Tailed Hawk birth totem, they are grounded, have a strong foundation, and they can overcome adversity with courage and strength. They are loyal with a strong connection to family. They are also positive, upbeat and social and their passion and creativity can light up any room.
Red-Tailed Hawk people have great perception and have a keen awareness of the mistruths of others. Use caution with this gift as it can make people very uncomfortable. Afterall, there are not many who want to face their shadows.
They also possess inner strength and courage that is recognizable by others. They are often faced with adversity and always rise to the challenge, overcoming the obstacle in their path. Red-Tailed Hawk people understand that everything in life happens for a reason and the truth will always be revealed.
Spiritually, they have a strong spiritual foundation and value the importance of mind, body and soul balance. Those born under the Red-Tailed Hawk totem often seek out new books or spiritual communities on their quest for truth and knowledge. They embrace what is beyond the veil of the physical world, so they likely have a mystical perspective.
Red-Tailed Hawk people want to make a mark on the world. Whether that is small or big, they have a purpose in life, and nothing stands in the way of this truth. They may also have a deep connection to nature and may be involved in nature or conservation efforts. To these folks, the Earth is sacred ground that we walk upon and their soul mission in life is to protect it.
POWER ANIMAL
As a Power Animal, the Red-Tailed Hawk can guide us to find our center, stay grounded in our inner and outer worlds and release the fears and outdated beliefs from the past. They can also empower us to find clarity when we are faced with a tough decision or challenge in our lives.
Root Chakra
The feathers of a Red-tail Hawk are a symbol of power and strength. Connected to the root chakra, our tribal power center, this energy is amplified by the color red and grounded in the color black. The Root Chakra, our first chakra, represents grounding, stability, tribal beliefs, family, community and group bonds. It is the foundation of our physical, emotional and mental health.
The Red-Tailed Hawk can offer guidance and support as we release our survival fears, including safety, community, and our sense of belonging in tribes. When our Root Chakra is in balance, we feel grounded with a sense of peace and belonging in the world.
When our fears of physical survival, loss of physical order and abandonment by the group occur, it creates an imbalance within. Our creative efforts become blocked, and we have difficulty manifesting in the physical world.
Energy deficits can cause also emotional disturbances like anger, frustration, depression, and anxiety. If left unchecked, this can lead to mental and emotional instability impacting relationships and the physical body.
Visualize or meditate on the Red-Tail feather and draw its power and strength to rebalance yourself. Envision the fears, doubts and outdated beliefs holding you back in life melting away under the fire of the Red tail. You can focus on releasing the hold these feelings have and draw strength and power from their destruction.
As you complete each release be sure to focus positive energy on your Root Chakra. Visualize power, strength, creativity, belonging and grounded energy being infused into your energetic being. When balanced, you feel safe, secure, stable and have a strong sense of belonging in the world.
Clarity and Focus
Red-Tailed Hawks have keen vision and can focus on the most minute detail with precision and focus. When you are faced with a challenge, but the thoughts or emotions have become overwhelming and you are unable to find clarity in your quest, draw on the power of the Red-Tailed Hawk to guide you.
Working with the energy of the Red-Tailed Hawk can help clear the clutter and chaos from your mind. When there is space, new insights have an opportunity to come through. This guidance can provide clarity and a fresh perspective to help you find a path forward.
Red-Tailed Hawk - Historical, Cultural, Religious Symbolism
HISTORICAL, CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS SYMBOLISM
Native American
In Native American spiritual traditions, the Red-Tailed Hawk is revered, just as the Eagle. They symbolize power, strength and courage. They are also seen as messengers between the spiritual and earthly realm, carrying messages forewarning of danger. In other traditions, the Red-Tailed Hawk represents insight, vision and awareness.
Celtic
In Celtic spiritual traditions, Red-Tailed hawks symbolize intuition, wisdom and focus. With their keen eyesight and their ability to see beyond the veil, they represent our ability to view things from a broader perspective and locating the hidden truths in each situation. Red-Tailed Hawks are also a symbol of trust, intuition, and inner wisdom and trusting ourselves and our instincts more deeply.
Shamanic
In Shamanic spiritual traditions, the Red-Tailed Hawk is seen as a guide, connecting individuals to the spiritual realm. They are seen as the bridge between the physical and spiritual worlds. They are seen as the guardian of the soul, guiding individuals through their spiritual journey, offering protection for their soul.
In many traditions, the Red-Tailed Hawk represents power, wisdom, vision, and intuition. With their keen sight and precision, they represent the ability to see beyond the surface. They are thought to open one's perception, facilitating a deeper connection with themselves to retrieve inner wisdom and guidance.
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