At 02:01 PM 11/25/98 -0800, Rob Saecker wrote:

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

That it looks like a very unusual red-tail to me. I didn't post because
I had nothing to add. The uniform mottling on the back is unusual for
either, red-tailed mottling usually forms a noticable "V" down the back.
The tail looks like an immy red-tail. I've trapped redtails with just
perhaps a half-dozen belly feathers with dark teardrops on each belly
flank being the only indication of a belly-band, so that aspect of
this bird seems unusual but not something new to me.

The patagial pattern in the photo seems more like a rufous-morph
red-tail than "normal" red-tails, i.e. it seems to be obscurred
by mottling. I've never seen this on a light-morph red-tail, just
rufous-morphs (black morphs often have the underwing coverts
entirely dark).

The tail, from the rear, seems very dark and banded, ferrug tails
show paleness on top, especially light-morphs, contributing to
that famous "three points of light" field mark that works so well
on distant soaring birds as they tilt their upper parts towards
you. The tail looks very red-tail to me.

It doesn't seem robust enough to be a ferrug, either, though that's
difficult to tell from the photo.

A hybrid? I've not heard of FHxRT crosses, but that doesn't mean
they're not known, my raptor experience leans far more in the
accipiter than buteo direction.


- Don Baccus, Portland OR <dhogaza at pacifier.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, and other goodies at
http://donb.photo.net