These colder months are a good time to look for northern race (sub-species)
Red-tailed Hawks. Walt Childs and I have seen numerous Red-tailed Hawks
during the past few weeks, especially in the Shenandoah Valley. Perhaps the
bare trees offer more chances to see them, but the colder weather may also
force some of these northern hawks our way.
First described by W. E. Clyde Todd in 1950, the race of Red-tailed Hawks
has been studied and reported on by Jerry Liguori: (
<https://northernredtails.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/rth_aabieticiola_north
_american_birds_march_2014.pdf>
https://northernredtails.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/rth_aabieticiola_north_
american_birds_march_2014.pdf).
The current issue of "The Raven" states that the first Virginia record of
the northern race Red-tailed Hawk was in December 2015. However, I have been
posting photos of this sub-species in my reports since September 2011, and
have seen some of them almost every winter. I learned of this northern race
via personal emails with Jerry Liguori, and he has confirmed some of my
sightings.
"Actually, these are what we call "Northern" Red-tailed Hawks, mostly from
Canada (basically, they are heavily marked Easterns). I copied Jon Ruddy
here since he started a blog about this type of Red-tail....I try to help on
the blog but have been slacking (thanks Jon). Check out the site Marshall @
<http://northernredtails.wordpress.com>
http://northernredtails.wordpress.com
The East Coast sees a good number of these types in winter and late fall.
Hope this helps. I also published an article on the subject [link at top]
Jerry"
Also:
"They don't have to have all the traits to be considered Northern, there is
much variation in every race or population, but that one fits nicely for a
juvenile Northern, especially those barred lower belly and legs
Jerry"
Here are a few of them:
Rockfish Valley Trail, September 2011:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/RTHawk_D86835.jpg
Rockfish Valley Trail, December 2011:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/RTHawk_E0400.jpg
Rockfish Valley Trail, November 2014:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/Hawk_FA003684.jpg
Blue Grass, September 2014:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/RTHawk_EA170031.jpg
Swoope, December 2014:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/RTHawk_FA008196.jpg
Also, be on the look-out for western race Red-tailed Hawks. I saw one in
South Carolina in February 2016:
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Raptors/Buteos/RTHawk_FA071263.jpg
There are numerous sub-species of this interesting hawk. More photos of
northern and western races, as well as other races, are on my photo pages.
http://www.faintich.net/Wildlife/NAmerica/Buteos.htm
I would appreciate emails from those of you who have seen any of the
non-eastern races of Red-tailed Hawks here in Virginia this winter.
___________________________
Marshall Faintich
Crozet, VA
marshall@xxxxxxxxxxxx
www.faintich.net <http://www.faintich.net/>
In real life, the shortest distance between two points is never a straight
line, so you might as well enjoy the journey !!
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