Red-tailed hawks are very common birds of prey throughout the U.S. They do vary quite a bit in color and pattern though, so sometimes it can be hard to know for sure whether it is a red-tailed hawk. One good indication in this photo is the field marking of the dark band on the front of the wings. This hawk also looks like a “light morph” red-tailed hawk. If you are looking for a book to help identify hawks, Hawks From Every Angle is a good one.
These crows clearly look upset with the hawk. According to the Sibley Guide to Bird Life and Behavior, crows will sometimes stand guard to look for predators while the rest of their group look for food. Once they see a predator (like this hawk), the guard sounds the squawking alarm and the other group members can then “hide, fly away, or come and mob the predator, depending on the call given.” Which call do you think the guard gave this time?
It’s great!