Those who venture out chasing the Perry County Ferruginous Hawk should be alert to the presence of a very pale Red-tailed Hawk in the area as well. Be sure to check for some of the specifically Ferruginous characters, and compare carefully to Red-tail. Don't be fooled just by pale plumage. This Ferruginous has:
-- A very large bill with a substantial hook at the end, dark on the outer portions, yellow at the base, with a big yellow gape extending back towards the eye.
-- Feathering on the tarsus (lower leg), pretty difficult to see -- NO dark pagital bar on the underwing-- Longer wings and more languid flight (when flapping) than a Red- tail, reminiscent of a Rough-leg (if that helps) -- Pale bases to the primaries, very conspicuous in flight as large pale areas in the outer wings, especially when viewed from above (or on the downstroke).
The Perry County bird is an immature, with white legs, a whitish tail with fine dark barring (no red), and mottley brownish upperparts. But all the features above have been noted on it.
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