A large hawk, usually weighing between 2 and 4 pounds. This species shows a great deal of individual variation in plumage. The adult has a rufous-colored tail that may or may not have a black terminal bar. The exception to this is the Harlan's sub-species, which has a white tail mottled with black.
Adults are dark brown on the back and the top of their wings.
The underside of the bird is usually light with a dark belly band, and a cinamon wash on the neck and chest. In all of the color phases, the underside of the primaries are light-colored. The red-tailed hawks' breeding range extends from Central Alaska through Canada and across the entire United States, south through Mexico and into Central America. In winter many of the northern birds move south, however, red-tails can commonly be seen as far north as Minnesota each winter. In Minnesota the red-tail is found around open fields especially near woodlots close to farms and cities.