The red-tailed hawk is a broad-winged, fan-tailed bird which is likely to be seen in summer soaring lazily overhead and in winter sitting motionless on a tree snag, waiting for prey. Its range covers most of North America from coast to coast and extends southward from Alaska to the Dominican Republic.

Ronald Austing has been studying these birds for years and has raised a dozen or so of them. To make the photographs for this book, be built an observation tower only 45 feet away from a red-tail nest and photographed parents and young throughout the nesting season.

What is the top speed of a red-tail in flight? What is its average wingspread? Do red-tails mate for life? At what age is the red-tail most amenable to training for falconry? The author describes in detail the nature and activities of the red-tailed hawk and makes some suggestions of especial importance to the aspiring falconer. Among the numerous true stories he tells about these powerful birds, are one of a red-tail that swooped down on a tomcat and another of a hawk that attacked a glider which had trespassed into its air preserve.