The Red-tailed Hawk is one of the most common hawks in America, and California is no exception to these beautiful birds of prey. You will often see them perching high above on trees (sometimes at the very top of a pine tree, as if it were a Christmas tree-topper decoration) and on street lamps. You may also see them hunting, flying high in the sky and swooping down, either to take down a squirrel or a rat with wings (pigeon). If you can’t see them, you can most definitely hear them. They have a very iconic screech, and most Americans would say it is a very patriotic sound—the red-tailed hawk is the voice actor of bald eagles!
If you did not know that, then you will be very disappointed that bald eagle calls sound nothing like a red-tailed hawk. Bald eagles are lookers, but Hollywood was clearly disappointed in the dialogue of an eagle, so they just gave it an excellent voice-actor. Next time you see or hear a red-tailed hawk, it might be worth telling your friends that the sound of freedom comes from these guys!