Their tails are not exactly brilliant red, but they are by far the most common raptors in our region. We've got a bunch of avocado groves, and I suspect the avocado tree leavings produce a lot of plump, juicy rodents for these hawks to prey upon.
They really are a marvel to watch. They dogfight each other, and the crows around here will gather to gang up on them. Really something to watch one redtail take on 6 or more crows. The crows usually win (by cooperation IMO.) Too bad the hawks are solitary predators that fight against each other to defend their territory, because sometimes it looks like they could use a little help up there against those crow gang-bangers.
Meh--the pros can handle 108 just fine:
a) They don't have to stop for redlights and stopsigns like we do.
b) They don't have diesel-smoke belching redneck trucks punching the throttle directly ahead of us like we do.
c) They have teamcars which bring them bottles to douse themselves, which we don't.
d) They don't have to worry about cleaning their own darn bikes after they've been rained on all day by dousing bottles, which we do.
e) They have the best nutrition, doctors, masseurs, trainers, which we don't.
Suck it pros. Suffer as well as we did.