[TN-Bird] Rough-legged Hawk mis-identification?
- From: "Ron Hoff" <dollyron@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "TN-BIRD" <tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 16:56:16 -0500
Tn-birders,
I posted last Sunday that our birding group had a Rough-legged Hawk at it's
usual area (Ninemile Cross Road in Sequatchie valley, Bledsoe County) on
Saturday, Jan. 24th. I was quizzed about the identification of this bird and
after going back over what we saw (and one of us heard), I'm now leaning more
towards this bird being a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk and NOT a Dark morph
Rough-legged Hawk. Here's why:
1 - there was a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk seen in the exact same tree about a
month ago. The observer actually saw the red
tail that time. This time we never saw the upper surface of the tail as it
was above eye level and flew away from us. Initially, and
also when it perched in a second tree after it flew away from us, it was
perched facing us, thereby not allowing a look at the upper
tail.
2 - when it was perched initially, it was perched on one leg. As I was watching
it through the scope, it stretched the second leg,
allowing me to see that the tarsi was yellow and NOT feathered all the way
to the foot. The feathered tarsi is mentioned in
the National Geographic Guide, as well as other references. With the scope
view I had, I would have noticed the feathering. I
didn't know about this feature at the time or I would never have reported
it as a RLHA in the first place:-(
I find it amazing that this area has produced dark morphs of BOTH species in
the past years. That has to be some kind of a statistical anomoly. What are the
odds?
My apologies to Tn-birders. I always strive to get ALL identifications correct,
but just as I think I might have a clue about these creatures I so love, I
stumble yet again. That's why I will always be a bird STUDENT! Lesson learned;
humble pie duly eaten.
Great birding,
Ron Hoff
Clinton, Tn.
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