23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Wildlife
This red-tailed hawk stands in fierce stillness, its gaze locked and feathers flared like nature’s own armor. Caught mid-watch on a sunlit field, it’s a portrait of wild precision and untamed grace.

On a brisk evening bathed in sunset, this red-tailed hawk locked eyes with the horizon—its gaze reflecting fire, its beak still marked by the hunt. Majestic and unapologetic, it stood as nature’s perfect predator, caught mid-feast in golden light.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2025
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Powhatan, Virginia, United States of America
Copyright: © Sofi Wheless