What is it, what is it?

[WifeKidsandDog]

Some sort of hawk ...

(And sorry for the wide size, Steve.)

[Steve Foss]

My best guess is an immature rough-legged hawk. Plumage

in buteo species can vary widely among individuals,

but this fits the bill for most of the field marks for juveniles

of the species in both National Geographic and Sibley guides.

Were these cropped from long distance, or

do you have fuller frame images? I pulled them up in photoshop

to get a closer look, but low-res images pixilate quickly

when you do that. Can you e-mail me a couple of the

originals?

[WifeKidsandDog]

They're about 90 percent of 100 percent crops :-(

It was quite far away as these were at 560mm

Cheryl

[Steve Foss]

Well, I'm not certain of my ID. It fits more of the field

marks for an immature rough-legged than any other

buteo I can find.

[WifeKidsandDog]

Thanks for looking it up, Steve.

I'll just have to try again and see if I can get closer.

Cheers

Cheryl

[M.T. Bucket]

I will concur with Steve's call. At first I thought it might be a light adult female Rough-legged Hawk, because it appeared that the underwing coverts were darker than the secondaries in the first shot, but it's also pretty clear on the upper side of the wing that the greater primary coverts are not colored the same as the primaries as they would be in the female.

In both shots the dark 'wrist' patch is visible as is the light band on the upper part of the tail just behind the upper tail coverts. The solid dark belly and light streaky breast, most visible on the first photo, are also present on the female and are (to me) the easiest way to identify a perched Rough-legged Hawk when you're going by at 55mph.

I like Rough-legged Hawks. I have an area near my home with some old tamarack bogs that were converted to meadows that I like to watch in the fall to see the first Rough-legged Hawk of the year. Sometimes I'll see a dark morph one glide over with its slight dihedral and mistake it for a raven in the sunlight, but once it flies out of the sun the light outerwing and tail become visible and unmistakeable.

[Steve Foss]

They're also not really unusual to see in the winter in Minnesota. They are Arctic tundra nesters, and they move south somewhat for the winter. They show up down here on Christmas bird counts fairly often.

[WifeKidsandDog]

Went looking for it today -- couldn't see it but I did see a couple of other hawks. Thanks for the ID, M.T.

Cheryl

[WifeKidsandDog]

Taken in the same place late this afternoon. The quality is NOT good, still too far away and taken at ISO 1600.

[WifeKidsandDog]

Is this a red-tailed hawk? I'm guessing yes because of the belly band?

[Steve Foss]

Yup, R-T hawk itself. Keep workin' Santa, and that 600 mm prime could fall your way!

[WifeKidsandDog]

Is the one in the previous post the rough-legged, I think it's the same bird as in my first post. It does have big fluffy feathered legs!

Thank you, sir.

Cheryl

[Steve Foss]

Cheryl: Your first post is a rough-legged.

Your second I'm not sure about.

Your third is a red-tailed.

The second could be either species. In either case, it's a dark-phase bird, and without seeing the underside, I'm not confident enough of markings to make an ID. If I had to guess, and a guess it is, I'd say No. 2 is an adult dark-phase red-tailed.

The rough-looking legs aren't enough to call a hawk a R-L. Lots of buteos have that look to their legs.

[The_Duckslayer]

Hey Steve... I guess that Lil cake there means that it is your birthday today? HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[WifeKidsandDog]

Happy Birthday, Steve!

Hope you're having a great day and that someone gave you a 600mm f/4 lens

It is The Founder's birthday tomorrow

Cheers

Cheryl

[Steve Foss]

Nope, no one with a fat wallet loves me THAT much!

By "the founder" do you mean Cheryl's Santa, the one who will deliver prime glass under the tree?

[WifeKidsandDog]

Quote:

---

Nope, no one with a fat wallet loves me THAT much!

By "the founder" do you mean Cheryl's Santa, the one who will deliver prime glass under the tree?

---

Awww, you must find some fat-walleted friends for next year, then.

Yes Founder and Santa. Just don't think he's aware of what's to be left under the tree yet, better start dropping some hints.

On the other hand I better not -- price tag would give him a heart attack (esp. at his age).

I'll be getting myself in trouble now!