With heavy wing beats, the red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) looks positively regal as it takes flight over the open spaces it favours. This magnificent bird of prey is a graceful glider and a swift hunter that is able to soar effortlessly for hours on its broad wingspan, all while fixing its superb vision on what lies below. It is highly adaptable to a variety of habitats, but is commonly spotted while quietly hunting prey from its perch on a post or tree. The red-tailed hawk's raspy, high-pitched cry is unmistakable, and serves as an audible reminder of its resilient and hardy nature in our wilderness, as poignantly depicted in this superb fine silver coin.

A must-have addition for any nature or animal lover in your family! Order today!

• This beloved series of coins is highly sought-after—THOSE ISSUED IN 2015 SOLD OUT QUICKLY, order this one today!
• First coin issued this year in the ongoing majestic animal series, which celebrates some of Canada's most distinctive and iconic animal species.
• The intricately engraved design is brought to life through the use of MULTIPLE FINISHES and SELECTIVE COLOUR that recreates the appearance of a western red-tailed hawk in the wild.
• Crafted in 99.99% PURE SILVER with a limited mintage worldwide.
• No GST/HST.

Designed by Canadian artist Emily Damstra, your coin uses selective colour to highlight the engraved depiction of ared-tailed hawk in its natural setting. In a unique twist, this large, broad-shaped bird is viewed from the perspective of its prey, as though the viewerwere staring up at the sky from ground level; the hawk is depicted in a controlled dive on outstretched wings, with talons ready and a fixed gaze that conveys the strength, fierceness and determination associated with this species. Intricate engraving recreates the smallest of details—from the softly feathered legs to the textured appearance of its overlapping feathers—while the selective application of reddish-brown, cream and yellow colours recreate the whitish underbelly and predominantly brown-spotted patterning of the western subspecies (Buteo jamaicensis calurus). In the background, the towering peaks and trees of Western Canada rise up beneath the great expanse of sky—a fitting, grand setting for this celebration of a majestic species.

• The red-tailed hawk shares its title as North America'slargest hawk species with the ferruginous hawk.
• It was first identified in Jamaica, hence its species name: jamaicensis.
• Just like us, the red-tailed hawk can see colours—but it can also see colours in the ultraviolet range, which we can't see.
• A monogamous species, it will mate for life and will only take a new partner if its original mate dies. The matingpair is also likely to return to the same nesting area.
• Most of its diet consists of small mammals and rodents, including ground squirrels and mice; it willalso feast on reptiles, smaller birds, and even insects or fish.
• All adult red-tailed hawks have the coloured tail for which they are aptly named, but not when they're young! A juvenile hawk's colours tend to be paler than an adult's; its hunting style is different too, as it prefers to hover above the ground to grab at its prey instead of the adult's soaring and swooping habit.

Your coin is encapsulated and presented in a Royal Canadian Mint-branded maroon clamshell with a custom beauty box.

Order your coin today!