Raptor

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,154
4,258
Pines; Bamber area
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.

E1.PNG
E2.PNG
 

NJChileHead

Explorer
Dec 22, 2011
831
628
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
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,143
Coastal NJ
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.
]

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
 

NJChileHead

Explorer
Dec 22, 2011
831
628
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.

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.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
Since it didn't leave when you came close tells me there was a reason it was hanging around.
 

Gibby

Piney
Apr 4, 2011
1,640
442
Trenton
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.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,603
8,181
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 :)
 
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