what species of hawk?

[jonny_redhorse]

I saw a few of these along the country roads this morning... I think it's a coopers but not sure.... jonny

[QuackAttack]

Male American Kestrel "Sparrow Hawk".

[jonny_redhorse]

thanks Quack!....guess I gotta get my audubon book out and dust it off ....jonny

[Redstormy]

jonny! What a beautiful bird..love the colors, nice shot

[fishingmike0770]

yeah they are cool looking birds and their faces look even better

[Steve Foss]

Mike, sometimes you gotta take what you can get.

[fishingmike0770]

oh for sure, ive got a few nice pics of the behinds. . .

spruce grouse i think

[jonny_redhorse]

Lol!.....the bird saw me.....turned around......and said...."get a shot of this!".......... jonny

[M.T. Bucket]

The color, pattern, and tail band of that bird are that of a ruffed grouse. Cheers.

[fishingmike0770]

see i didnt even know, i got other pics of it though where you can see its face and it just doesnt look like a ruffed grouse. It has that red patch above the eye which ive never seen on a ruffed grouse before.

[walleyefisher0990]

ruffed grouse for sure mikey just curious though what is the range of the spruce grouse? can you find them in northern minnesota?

[Steve Foss]

Spruce grouse can be found across approximately the northern 1/3 of Minnesota, and in northern Wisconsin, as well. It is a boreal species, most often found in dense spruce woods with mossy ground.

[M.T. Bucket]

They're all over the spruce bogs in Koochiching and Lake Counties and can be found in northern St. Louis and Cook as well. They're occasionally seen in Itasca County and I wouldn't doubt there are a few in the counties along the periphery of the area I just mentioned.