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Project Noah Nature School
Buteo lineatus elegans
Eastern North America and the coast of California, as well as Northern Mexico.
This hawk was sitting in a tree at the side of my path to the library at Cal. S/he was gracious enough to hold still for several minutes while I looked my fill. One passerby suggested that she might be so cooperative because I looked like lunch.
Donna posted a wonderful photo portraying the "window". Her bird is a juvenile, so it's not so rusty. Broad-winged Hawks have only two bands on the tail.
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/116...
The combo of the barred belly and rusty coloration are quite unique. In flight they show "windows" in the primaries, that are more transparent areas in the feathers that allow light to filter through. However, immature Broad-winged Hawks can show this as well, and disheveled primaries can appear like this as well. I find it to be a reliable field mark 75% of the time.
Nice series! I'd love you to add this spotting to the mission Raptors of North America: http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/8627...
thanks again, Liam. What are the distinguising characteristics that I should be looking for?
Spotted on Feb 28, 2012
Submitted on Jun 9, 2012
+1
