Why might the determination of sex in Red-tailed Hawks be tricky?

The determination of sex in Red-tailed Hawks can be tricky primarily due to the large overlap in criteria between males and females. In many raptor species, including Red-tailed Hawks, males and females can appear very similar in size, plumage, and other physical characteristics. Although females are generally larger, there is significant variation within each sex, which can lead to challenges in accurately determining their sex based solely on visual observation or standard metrics. This overlap means that a person attempting to identify the sex of these hawks may not be able to rely on definitive markers, making accurate identification difficult without further methods, such as blood tests or other genetic analyses.