Today at the Parker Preserve. This avian species allowed me to get real close. I'm guessing a juvenile eagle? I'm not much of a birder.
Raptor
- Thread starter bobpbx
- Start date
Hi Bob,
I think that it's a red-tailed hawk. I'm also pretty green as far as birders go, but I believe that I am seeing the belly band in the first picture that is diagnostic of red-tailed hawks.
Mark
I think that it's a red-tailed hawk. I'm also pretty green as far as birders go, but I believe that I am seeing the belly band in the first picture that is diagnostic of red-tailed hawks.
Mark
Not an Eagle Tee, with the multiple bands on the tail I'd guess Sharp-shinned. They go about a foot long, Red-tailed about twice that. That's the best way to differentiate.
Good site for bird id'ing below. They also have a free app.
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/search
I don't believe that it's an accipiter (sharp shinned or cooper's), as the tail is too short. They have shorter wings and longer tails to maneuver through forests in pursuit of birds (their primary prey). They also tend to have streaked breasts.
Buteos (red-tailed, red-shouldered, etc) have shorter tails and longer wings (for soaring).
Edited: I didn't see Bushwacker's confirmation, sorry about that.
It's a male juvenile Redtailed hawk. A guess on my part to why he was so docile is because a much larger female gave him a beating after rejecting his advances. This time of year the Redtails are nesting and raising their brood. There also some late season breeding occurring.
Some experience with that
You have a great memory! That was Mother's Day 2013. I still can't believe I had a hawk wrapped up in my sweat shirt sitting in the passenger's seat.