[va-richmond-general] Re: FW: Northern Goshawk
- From: "Jim Blowers" <jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "'Adam D'Onofrio'" <bigadfromlb@xxxxxxxxxxx>, "'RAS Listserv'" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 26 Apr 2011 12:37:58 -0400
Looking through my bird book - Richard Taranto's bird indeed does not appear
to be a goshawk. It does not have the distinctive white stripe on the head,
and it does not have the red eye. In fact, this hawk's light grayish eye
does not match anything I see in Sibley's. So I Googled images of various
hawks. It does not seem to be a red-tailed hawk because it does not have
enough red in it. Maybe it is a Cooper's hawk as in
http://www.pbase.com/image/52570588 . This picture shows a lightish eye. I
expect the lack of stripes in its upper breast is a photographic effect.
So what kind of hawk is it?
Jim Blowers
_____
From: Adam D'Onofrio [mailto:bigadfromlb@xxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Tuesday, 2011 April 26 10:54
To: jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [va-richmond-general] FW: Northern Goshawk
Jim. The bird in the photos appears to be a Red-tailed Hawk. Goshawks are
very rare in the Richmond area. I guess your best chance to see one would
be in fall migration. An immature goshawk would show streaking on the
breast, not just on the belly like the bird in the photos. The belly
streaking on a red-tail is often referred to as a "belly band" and is a good
field mark for that species. A goshawk would also have a long tail,
although you can't see the tail in the photos, and a prominent white
eyebrow. Red-tails are also more likely to show up in residential
neighborhoods and feast on squirrels, etc. Identifying perched hawks can be
challenging. Enjoy the spring.
Adam D'Onofrio
Dinwiddie Co.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim Blowers" <jimvb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "RAS Listserv" <va-richmond-general@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 26, 2011 9:03:57 AM
Subject: [va-richmond-general] FW: Northern Goshawk
I got this from someone at my church (The First UU Church of Richmond - the
one where we met last week). How common are goshawks around here? And I
wonder if the bird should be named squirrelhawks instead.
Jim Blowers
_____
From: Richard Taranto [mailto:rktaranto@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Monday, 2011 April 25 23:07
To: Jim Blowers
Subject: Northern Goshawk
Jim,
I know you like birds. Here's an unusual one.
What appears to be an immature northern goshawk was perched in a tree in the
2400 block of E. Grace St. in Church hill this evening. He had a squirrel
in his talons. He/she sat there for over half an hour enjoying his dinner
seemingly oblivious to spectators and local photographers.
Apparently goshawks are rarely seen in this area..
Richard Taranto
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