[texbirds] Re: RFI - Help with Hawk?

  • From: Ronnie Kramer <ronniekramer1964@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: TexBirds <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 11:52:56 -0600

This is a Buteo.  It is not an eagle or a harrier.
There are only 4 species that show trapezoidal translucent areas on the
hand from underneath when backlit.

Ferruginious Hawk, or Juvenile Red-tailed, Broad-winged, or Rough-legged.
(Red-shouldered Hawk shows a translucent CRESENT on the backlit under-hand.)

Ferruginioius is easily eliminated, the wings are simply not pointed
enough. The hand does not taper to a point.

Broad-winged is eliminated by the wing-loading, i.e. the length of the wing
divided by it's boradness.  This bird's wings are too long, given their
width, to be a broad-winged.  (Not to mention season.)

Rough-legged is a bit harder to eliminate by siloutte alone.  But almost
all of the images are of a bird either kiting or in a slight to moderate
glide, with the exception of the first 3 pics.  In none of the pics is the
bird in a full soar. In none of the pics is there an indication of a
dihedral.

If you look at the 3rd pic specifically, the bird is demonstrating a
modified dihedral.  Point for Red-tailed.

If you look at the 11th pic, you can see a dark hood (+1 red-tailed), a
belly band (+1 red-tailed), what to me (chromatically challenged) appears
to be a dark rufous wash on the breast (+1 red-tailed) and crissum (+1
red-tailed).

In the first few images of the bird in a slight soar or a kite, the bird
shows a lankiness characteristic of juvenile red-tailed hawk, and in the
later pics in a glide is shows a moderate bent wing shape.

I'm convinced this is a Juvenile Red-tailed.

On Mon, Jan 28, 2013 at 10:17 AM, Paul Sunby <psunby@xxxxxxxx> wrote:

> All,
>
> I actually see no reason why that bird isn't a young Red-tailed Hawk,
> albeit in an unusual plumage.  The bird has a brown head and a light
> chest, giving it a hooded appearance quite typical of Red-tailed Hawk.
> You don't get a hooded look on either eagle (and with the small bill it
> is not a Bald Eagle) or on Rough-legged or Ferruginous hawks.  Agree
> with Heidi that the bird is decidedly not a Northern Harrier for the
> reasons she identifed.
>
> Regards,
>
> Paul Sunby
> Austin
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Heidi Trudell
> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 9:52 AM
> To: mark.scheuerman@xxxxxxxxx
> Cc: TexBirds
> Subject: [texbirds] Re: RFI - Help with Hawk?
>
> I'd love to see public discussion about this individual - the hazard of
> voting is that if we vote on the gender of the classroom hamster, we
> aren't necessarily right.
>
> It is decidedly not a Northern Harrier due to head shape, wing shape,
> tail length... size can be deceiving, but the silhouette isn't great for
> either of our eagles. I'm not entirely sold on dark Rough-legged Hawk,
> as the pale 'hand' panels also fit young Red-tails.
>
> Would have loved to see the flight style of this bird, but will settle
> for further discussion! So let's hear it - why do the Rough-legged votes
> vote Rough-legged? How was Red-tailed Hawk ruled out for those cases?
>
> Happy trails,
> -h
>
> Heidi Trudell
> Marathon, TX
>
>
> > Thanks to those responding. So far there is no consensus on this hawk.
> Maybe this bird can't be ID'd by these photos? Could it be a
> Rough-Legged Hawk?
> > 2 votes for Rough-Legged Hawk (including my vote for imm RLHA)
> > 1 vote for Golden Eagle
> > 1 vote for N. Harrier
> > 1 vote for imm Bald Eagle
>
>
> --
>
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>
Ronnie K, Austin


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