Subject: Re: Hawk ID - Help!
Date: Nov 25 14:01:40 1998
From: Rob Saecker - rsaecker at thurston.com


At 4:05 AM -0700 11/25/98, Richard E. Johnson wrote:
>Jerry, Rob, Jack and Tweeters:
>
>I just looked for the first time at the great photos Jerry took of a very
>light colored Buteo near Davenport, and I'd like to reopen the question of
>the ID.

<big snip>

Richard makes some very good points, and without access to skins or an
equivalent library, I'm in no position to refute them. A couple thoughts,
though:

if the bird had a red-tail's dark patagium, I would expect to see it even
in Jerry's photo, but it's not there. One (maybe) for ferruge.

Unfeathered tarsi is pretty hard to refute. One for red-tail.

Clark and Wheeler, in the Peterson series _Hawks_, say that ferruges have a
light subterminal band on the tail, while red-tails have a dark subterminal
band. Jerry's bird had a light subterminal band, so one for ferruge.

I think the malar stipe on Jerry's bird is within the range of variation
for ferruge, but Richard's collection outweighs my opinion. One for
red-tail.

So, how about red-tail x ferruge? ;-) (Hey Jerry, are you confused enough
yet?)

Actually, I've been anticipating Don Baccus' comments on this bird. What do
you say, Don?

Rob Saecker
Olympia