A photograph from my recent camping trip. This is the head of a Red-tailed Hawk.
The Red-tailed Hawk is a raptor. The Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) is a bird of prey, one of three species colloquially known in the United States as the "chickenhawk," though it rarely preys on standard sized chickens. Because they are so common and easily trained as capable hunters, the majority of hawks captured for falconry in the United States are Red-tails. As is the case with many raptors, this hawk displays sexual dimorphism in size, as females are up to 25% larger than males. Its preferred habitat is mixed forest and field, with high bluffs or trees that may be used as perch sites. It hunts either from the air, soaring and swooping, or from a perch where it sits waiting for its prey to come by. When soaring or flapping its wings, it typically travels about 40 mph, but when diving may exceed 120 mph.
The cry of the red-tailed hawk is a two to three second hoarse, rasping scream, that begins at a high pitch and slurs downward. This cry is often described as sounding similar to a steam whistle, and is frequently used as a generic raptor sound effect in television shows. The eyesight of a Red-tailed hawk is a very powerful and vital tool in their ability to capture prey. Their vision is about 8 times more powerful than the human eye which gives them the ability to hunt prey from a distance away. It is said that hawks, while soaring and looking for their next victim, are able to see a mouse from a distance of one mile away. Source: Wikipedia. I tried to capture this Hawk's characteristics here.

This poem I described as 4X5 Refrained Quatrains. The 4X5 simply means 4 lines with 5 syllables each. The refrain is a repeated line in each stanza. For this poem, I chose the second line. Its not a formal format. I just threw it together here.

This photograph was taken by the author himself on August 30, 2015.

You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.