After a week in my care Scirroco's contour and flight feathers are coming in as should be expected. The primaries and secondaries are approximately 2" long and the rectrices are showing about 1" of development accompanied with a thick cream tip band.


Redtails hatch as a semi-altricial with a fine white down covering much of their main body. After about 9 days they start to replace that downy protection with a thicker buff colored 2nd down protection.



The contour and flight feathers grow within a drinking straw like protective sheath of keratin. As the feather reaches full length the sheath breaks down forming a powder and exposing the unfurled feather. While feathers are growing they have a blood supply providing nutrition. Once the feather has reach complete growth that blood supply is pinched off and the feather is now dead.

Despite being known as a Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis, hawklets and many juveniles don't show the coloration of tail feathers the species was named for. Often the 2nd year bird will moult in a "red" tail but many don't get this bright plumage until the moult of their 3rd year.


The juveniles tail is a series of dark and light grey/brown bars of coloration.