Majestic

Debra DeFrancisco shared her photograph of this Red-tailed Hawk that she took Sunday, Aug. 5, on Lower Wisner Road. According to Audubon.org: "This is the most widespread and familiar large hawk in North America, bulky and broad-winged, designed for effortless soaring. An inhabitant of open country, it is commonly seen perched on roadside poles or sailing over fields and woods. Although adults usually can be recognized by the trademark reddish-brown tail, the rest of their plumage can be quite variable, especially west of the Mississippi: Western Red-tails can range from blackish to rufous-brown to nearly white." DeFrancisco added: "This beauty sat on a fence post for about 20 minutes and let me shoot away."