The Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota admits hundreds of injured raptors each year. Every bird is carefully examined by veterinarians and amidst the injuries, they often find interesting tidbits of typical raptor biology. They recently shared this fascinating photo of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk tail.
Red-tailed Hawks don't start with a red tail. Their first set of feathers have brown striped vanes. Young birds' feathers are also longer to act like training wheels as they learn how to fly and maneuver. At one year old, they molt, or shed, these feathers to grow a new reddish tail that the species is named for.
This young hawk was admitted to the clinic in the middle of their first molt. Just starting to grow their adult tail, one new reddish plume is surrounded by the older and longer juvenile feathers. It is amazing to understand this moment in the hawk's life, just by examining its feathers!
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