A red-tailed hawk has a nice vantage spot overlooking Brookings Quadrangle, as he takes a break on the arch between January and Busch halls. A red-tailed hawk — perhaps this one — has been spotted for several years around the Hilltop Campus. Hawks are carnivores that belong to the category of birds known as raptors — birds of prey. The red-tailed is the largest hawk, usually weighing 2-4 pounds. As with most raptors, the female is nearly one-third larger than the male and may have a wingspan of 56 inches. The adult red-tailed hawk is easily identified — when it leaves its perch on slow, measured wing beats, or turns while soaring overhead, the broad, rounded tail shows a rich, russet red; hence the name.
