[texbirds] Mystery Hawk preliminary guesses

  • From: "Sanchez, Isaac C" <sanchez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: "texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Thu, 8 Aug 2013 09:24:02 +0000

Although the mystery hawk photo has already been viewed nearly 200 times, only 
8 guesses have been offered.  Results so far:

Cooper’s Hawk 3
Swainson’s Hawk 2
Harrier/Accipiter 1
Roadside Hawk 1
Mississippi Kite 1 (juvenile) with the comment, “You caught one absolutely 
diagnostic field mark really well  - the outer primary is shorter than its 
neighbor.”

I had the advantage of actually seeing the bird fly.  A smaller bird was 
chasing it and the mystery hawk’s flight pattern was not like that of an 
accipiter (flap and sail).  Instead, it was soaring on fixed wings and in my 
binos it look like a big buteo.  When I saw the barring on the tail my initial 
thought was Swainson’s and by it's size, shape, and flight I rule out 
accipiter.  But as I said, after looking at the photos, I wasn’t really sure 
what I saw.  I have added 2 other photos, but I don’t think they really help 
that much: http://www.flickr.com/photos/isaaccsanchez/sets/72157634974791348/

Isaac Sanchez
Austin



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