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Hawk Revealed



Alright!  Of the 15 responses to the quiz the totals are as follows:

Red-shouldered Hawk - 8
7 imm./1 not aged

N. Goshawk - 2
both imm.

Cooperıs Hawk - 2
1 imm./1 not aged

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
1 imm./1 not aged

Rough-legged Hawk - 1
not aged

Itıs an immature bird, as those that did not mention the age of the bird
probably assumed.

The bird pictured has a light surerciliary, pale eye, longish tail, dark
malar area, and the underparts are streaked with brown blobs or spots.  You
canıt really see how long the legs are in these pictures, the birdıs
feathers are fluffed out making it appear ³bulkier² than it might be, and
itıs difficult, for sure, to judge relative size here.

All three immature accipiters have straw colored or yellow eyes (Goshawkıs
may be darker), usually, brighter than the bird pictured.

The bird appears to have a longish tail like the forest dwelling, bush
whacking, quick turning accipiters. Itıs sometimes difficult to see tail
bands on the underside of a perched birdıs tail, but this bird shows a wide
dark band at the tip of the tail with alternating narrow, light and dark
bands.  The three accipiters have wider, light and dark tail bands of equal
width.

All three accipiters may show a light surerciliary but lack the dark malar
area.  So, without getting into the differences in underpart streaking, itıs
not an accipiter.

Itıs not a falcon, which no one mentioned, or Harrier.  That leaves Buteo.

The dark belly band of Rough-legged Hawks...well, even with the many
different plumages, morphs, and variations thereof in Rough-legged Hawks,
there is no combination that would look quite like this bird.  If a
Rough-legged lacked a dark belly band, and the tail pattern were similar to
the pictured bird (some adult light morph males maybe) there would still be
barring on the flanks, and legs...It would also have a dark ³hooded²
appearance to the head and upper breast.

No one suggested Red-tailed Hawk, perhaps because of the streaking on the
upper breast that the pictured bird has, or maybe it was the tail bands
again (many narrow tail bands in imm. Red-tailed Hawk).  Or maybe it just
didn't look like a R-T Hawk.

No one suggested Broad-winged Hawk either (except one person, only a
suggestion, mind you).  It can be very difficult to tell the difference
between a perched Broad-winged Hawk (BW) and a perched Red-shouldered Hawk
(RS).  The light surerciliary, breast streaking, and bands on the tail can
be very similar in appearance.  RSıs legs are longer than BWıs, although you
canıt see that in the pictures.

You canıt see much of the wing either, but in one photo (were the bird is
looking down) you can see the birdıs right wing, the secondaries.  There are
light and dark areas visible. The wing barring on RS is much more evident
than the pale barring on BW-you have to look really close to see any barring
on BWıs wings even on spread, backlit wings.

As I mentioned in the text, next to the pictures, the bird is sitting in a
Red Maple.  Someone mentioned that there were no leaves on the trees (she
knows who she is) which would indicate that itıs winter in North Carolina. 
You may have to look really hard to see them, but the maple is beginning to
flower (same photo as above).  In the Piedmont of NC that means February (4
days ago).  Perhaps a little earlier towards the coast and south, maybe a
bit later up in the hills, but close enough.  So, beside the wing barring,
and any other plumage differences that you may be able to pick out, and
unless this bird just escaped from someoneıs collection, rehab facility, or
zoo it probably isnıt a BW.

A few minutes after shooting this bird (w/camera, of course), it dropped
down off of the branch, spreading itıs long brown mottled wings with buff
colored crescents near the tips, and after a short glide over the top of the
matted down grass, caught, what appeared to be, a shrew.

Red-shouldered Hawk it is.  Of course, more then half of you already knew
that.

Anyone wishing to make any additions, comments, or corrections to the above
is encouraged to do so.

Thanks to all for responding,

Greg
----------
Greg Dodge
Hillsborough, NC
brownbagproductions.com