I got a reply from the Audubon Society about the ID of this bird. It is indeed a red tailed Hawk.
Here is the response.
Dear Kevin,
Thanks for the photos.
The impressive bird is an adult Red-tailed Hawk. There is a lot of color variation in Red-tails, so they can be a little tricky using a field guide which usually only provides one view. Some have an almost cream-white breast, whereas, others can be almost black. Yours is in-between with the tan coloring. They all have the "band" of streaks along their lower abdomen that we call a "belly band."
If you see the bird fly, you would likely see the brick-red color on the outer side of the tail. First-year (or, "juvenile") Red-tailed Hawks don't have the russet color to their breast or tail -- their colors are usually cream on the breast and brown on the tail. They get the adult coloring when they molt the following spring and grow in their adult plumage.
I hope this information has been helpful to you.
Please consider helping us with our bird conservation work by joining Audubon;
or, if you are a member by giving a donation:
http://support.audubon.org/Sincerely,
Paul Zeph
Education Department
National Audubon Society
Audubon’s Mission is to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds,
other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity.
