Jim R. wrote -

> I have always differentiated between hovering and sitting in the wind. A
> Red-tailed Hawk can sit in a wind and hover, but needs to have some wind
> to do this. Kestrels can hover whether they have a head wind or not. This
> seems like a subtle difference, unless you are a Red-tailed Hawk who
> wants to hover and you have no wind.

Technically, sitting in the wind on set wings is called "kiting". All birds of
prey utilize this method to some degree.

Using beating wings to stay in one spot is called "hovering", as mastered by
hummingbirds. Rough-legged Hawks are much better at this than Red-tails due to
their lighter wing-loading, but I have seen Red-tails try it, usually when a
stiff wind is blowing. And even here in c. B.C., it would be rare to see a
Rough-leg before the last week of August.



==========================
Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jbowling at direct.ca