What Am I?

I saw this animal on a short hike yesterday in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. I have never been so close to one of these in the wild, and will explain at the end.

I have a color in my name.

I have feathers.

I am usually spotted soaring through the air, always on the alert.

I am much bigger than a pigeon. In fact, pigeons would cower if I came within sight.

Did I mention that the color in my name is a primary color?

Keep your nasty salad and fruits. I want meat, and I want it fresh - mice, squirrels, rats, snakes, and other birds will be on my menu.

I am named after the color of my tail.

That should be enough clues, make your guess, and scroll down....


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to here:
I am a red-tailed hawk.

In the refuge, there is a large blind that looks out over the marsh. Part of it is indoors with a glass front. Sitting less than a foot from the glass was this hawk. We were convinced that it was a dead, stuffed one, placed there to scare birds from the glass. He did not move. Suddenly, he blinked his eyes! No stuffed bird does that! I snapped a shot - this one - through the glass with a lot of glare. I stepped outside the building at the end and slowly rounded the corner. The second I came into view, this large hawk - less than a dozen feet away - took off. Even so, it was a very neat experience!