I have watched Zone-tailed in the SW, and they really do fly like Turkey Vultures. Everything I can see in the third picture does look very consistent with Zone-tailed (except for one thing), but if you didn't notice the flight style, it probably isn't one. The one thing is the shape of the wing trailing edge- it's a little bit bulged in the secondaries and somewhat pinched in at the body, whereas Zone-tailed usually looks very straight- see for instance the photo on the Wikipedia page of a Zone-tailed from almost the same perspective as your third picture. Was the bird flapping when you took the second picture- I would expect more dihedral for soaring Zone-tailed. I absolutely agree about the first picture- the apparent color is false, due to out-of-focus chromatic aberration.
If it's a B-wing, it's doing an amazing job of disguising itself: shape and proportions don't look right at all. The tail banding pattern is very clearly visible, and not right for Red-shouldered. The sound of Zone-tailed call is more pure whistle- less screechy or scratchy- than Red-Tailed, but not so terribly different if you're not paying close attention. But, would a solitary, lost Zone-tailed be likely to be calling at all? Interesting! But I'm definitely no expert. --John Greenly On Jun 16, 2014, at 10:22 AM, Gary Kohlenberg wrote: > Ray, > I think arguments could be made for a couple species / morphs based on the > backlit photos, and I have my opinion, but as you heard the bird call my bet > would be whatever the vocalization indicates. I don’t know if you are solid > on the calls, but to my ear the Broad-winged “p-seeee” and juvenile Red-tail > squeals can sound similar. Red-shouldered Hawks sound completely different > and the unlikely Zone-tailed even more so. > > Gary > > > From: bounce-116290980-3493...@list.cornell.edu > [mailto:bounce-116290980-3493...@list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Dave Nutter > Sent: Monday, June 16, 2014 4:32 AM > To: CAYUGABIRDS-L > Subject: Re: [cayugabirds-l] dark red-tailed hawk > > Good point about the primary barring showing at the molt. If the slaty color > of the wing linings and underside of the body & head is true, not just > reddish which appears so dark because it's dull, backlit, and distant (as our > usual Broad-wingeds appear gray instead of pink on the breast when high > overhead), then I must admit that Zone-tailed seems possible. I think > Red-shouldered, although darker than Broad-winged, shouldn't be so > extensively dark, either. I'm just not familiar enough with Zone-tailed to be > confident. > --Dave Nutter > > On Jun 15, 2014, at 11:28 PM, Rbakelaar <rbakel...@aol.com> wrote: > > The photos seem to demonstrate barring on the primaries, more so than I would > expect on even a dark phase Broad-wing. The molted out feather allows this > characteristic to be seen somewhat well. This bird's proportions seem to > weigh against B-wing too. The wings seem long and narrow, with only a slight > bulge of the secondaries. Tail seems long as we'll. The photos also seem to > show a black body. > > Any of our resident experts care to weigh in? > > Ryan. > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jun 15, 2014, at 10:57 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: > > I couldn't reconcile the red tail of photo 1 with the black and white stripes > of photo 3, even though I have seen various effects of looking through > backlit feathers. The reason I didn't say Red-shouldered Hawk is that the > white tail-band appeared too wide to me (but this may be a focus issue, or > may judgement may be wrong), and the white mark in the otherwise even-colored > primaries appears to me due to a molted missing feather on each side, not a > "window" across the primaries. The reason I said "the only species of Buteo > around here" is that Zone-tailed Hawk is way out of range, and also is less > familiar to me. My guess was that Zone-tailed would not look so pale on the > flight feathers of the wings. I am open to correction on all points. > --Dave Nutter > > On Jun 15, 2014, at 08:28 PM, Sandy Podulka <s...@cornell.edu> wrote: > > As you know, I'm really just a beginner at hawks...... but... What about a > Red-shouldered Hawk? It's got the white windows and the banded tail. The > reddish appearance of the tail could just be sunlight shining through > brownish feathers, which can really play tricks on the eye. It seems like the > distribution of light and dark on the underside of the wings matches that of > Red-shouldered Hawk. > > Sandy > > At 08:09 PM 6/15/2014, Ann Mitchell wrote: > > I agree with Dave regarding a Broad-winged Hawk. Ann Mitchell > > Sent from my iPhone > > On Jun 15, 2014, at 5:28 PM, Dave Nutter <nutter.d...@me.com> wrote: > > > I am NOT an authority on raptors, but that has never stopped me from > commenting before, so here's my guess: > > I think the first blurry photo looks like a dark type of Red-tailed Hawk more > typically found out west. > > I think the second and third photos are of a different bird with a feather > missing from primaries on each side. The only species of Buteo around here > with such a wide bold white stripe in the tail is Broad-winged Hawk, which > also shows a black outline to the ends of the flight feathers on the entire > wing, as seen in the third photo. However, dark-type Broad-winged Hawks are > rare, and the wing shape looks too long and rounded to me, so I'm not at all > confident. I hope someone who really knows what they are talking about has a > look at your photos and sets me straight. > > --Dave > Nutter > > On Jun 15, 2014, at 03:23 PM, Ray Zimmerman <r...@cornell.edu> wrote: > > > Today around 12:30pm as I stepped outside (in Eastern Heights, Ithaca) the > call of red-tailed hawk caught my attention and I quickly spotted it circling > overhead. As I grabbed my binoculars, I soon realized that it was a very > unusual red-tail (at least very different from the one’s I’m used to > seeing). As you can see from very bad photos linked below, it was quit dark > below. > > So is this a western bird, or is this just a variation I haven’t seen > around here before? > > https://www.dropbox.com/sh/t7pw5hoifjpzeey/AABcyimp4JipHTo8DwZc0r8-a > > — Ray > > -- > > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES > http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm > > ARCHIVES: > 1) cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu /maillist.html'> http://www.mail-archive.com/ > cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu /maillist.html > 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds > 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html > > Please submit your observations to eBird: > http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ > > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > ---- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > > Rules and Information > > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > > Archives: > The Mail Archive > > Surfbirds > > BirdingOnThe.Net > > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- > -- > Cayugabirds-L List Info: > Welcome and Basics > Rules and Information > Subscribe, Configuration and Leave > Archives: > The Mail Archive > Surfbirds > BirdingOnThe.Net > Please submit your observations to eBird! > -- -- Cayugabirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsRULES http://www.NortheastBirding.com/CayugabirdsSubscribeConfigurationLeave.htm ARCHIVES: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/cayugabirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://www.surfbirds.com/birdingmail/Group/Cayugabirds 3) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/CAYU.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
