Raptors have many phases; juvenile, adult, moulting, seasonal change, etc.. What do you suggest?
I guess I’ll agree to Red-Tail in a juvenile phase. So much for the RED tail. LOL. I suppose it’s too large to be a Prairie Falcon which would also be more slender and built for speed in flight.
Since Grace lives in Colorado (according to the flag on her home page) I'm not familiar with the raptors in her area of the country but my amateur guess would be a red tailed hawk..........
In my area in S.E. Michigan, I have three species around my house and each is distinctive from the others. A Red Tail Hawk, a Coopers Hawk and a Sharp Shinned Hawk as well as a Kestrel which I haven't seen in over a year..........
If you're referring to my prior comment, the bird is definitely not of the falcon species for reasons I previously stated...............