The Handsome Ferruginous Hawk

_{Ferruginous Hawk Portrait by David Quanrud}

The Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) is the largest North American member of the Buteo genus, which also includes the Red-tailed Hawk.  It is named for its rust colored, or ferruginous, feathers.  (Bonus vocabulary word of the day!) Ferruginous Hawks are found in open arid regions of western North America where they feed primarily on small mammals especially ground squirrels, rabbits and prairie-dogs.

What I love is the face they make with their beak open, highlighted by their yellow gape (aka bird lips).

_{Ferruginous Hawk by E.J. Peiker}