Where’s the Red Tail….Hawk?

Here at The Edge of the Wood we have come to understand that bird plumage descriptions can be confounding. The male Redstart is…orange. The red-bellied woodpecker’s head is brighter red than its belly. And, with that giant blue bill, why is it called a ruddy duck? Here we have the classic red tail of the red-tailed hawk, but you won’t find it on all of these fine raptors. Most juveniles have yet to grow one. Some morph in and out of rusty colors, and the western version of the species may not have it at all.  What’s a bird lover to do?