rka
ttbirds
Also, would like to know if the small white shoulder patch is an indicator. The attached image has this bird as the first image and other pictures from google.
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Trinidad - Hawk ID (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rka
- Start date
Thanks - things take quite a bit sometimes with getting reports confirmed (or denied).
rka
ttbirds
Just to have all feedback so far on the bird in this thread, see below an initial assessment from Bill Clark from Raptours. Suggests a hybrid of Savanna Hawk and White-tailed Hawk with reasons.
Hi Rashid,
Sergio has been ill and has not had time to study these photos.
However, I have spent a little time looking at the 18 photos of this unusual buteonine and came to these conclusions:
1. Overall, it looks like an aberrant Savannah Hawk.
2. It is in adult plumage.
3. It is not a black hawk of either species, as its plumage is not black. Tail appears like a juvenile CBH or Basic II GBH, but not like an adult.
4. Wing shape is long with pointed wingtips, like a White-tailed Hawk, and not like a Savannah or either black-hawk. Adult tail is like White-tailed. Tails of Savannah and black hawks are blackish with white band. Note also that when perched, the wingtips exceed the tail tip, but not as much as on pure WTHs. The wingtips fall short of the tail tip on the other species.
I believe that it is a hybrid between a Savannah and a White-tailed Hawk. FL&C state that WTH is a rare resident of Trinidad.
Please feel free to ask any questions about this hybrid.
I will be presenting a paper on natural raptor hybrids at the upcoming Raptor Research Foundation meeting in November. Could you ask the photographers if I could use their images in the talk, with photo credits, of course.
Cheers, Bill
Hi Rashid,
Sergio has been ill and has not had time to study these photos.
However, I have spent a little time looking at the 18 photos of this unusual buteonine and came to these conclusions:
1. Overall, it looks like an aberrant Savannah Hawk.
2. It is in adult plumage.
3. It is not a black hawk of either species, as its plumage is not black. Tail appears like a juvenile CBH or Basic II GBH, but not like an adult.
4. Wing shape is long with pointed wingtips, like a White-tailed Hawk, and not like a Savannah or either black-hawk. Adult tail is like White-tailed. Tails of Savannah and black hawks are blackish with white band. Note also that when perched, the wingtips exceed the tail tip, but not as much as on pure WTHs. The wingtips fall short of the tail tip on the other species.
I believe that it is a hybrid between a Savannah and a White-tailed Hawk. FL&C state that WTH is a rare resident of Trinidad.
Please feel free to ask any questions about this hybrid.
I will be presenting a paper on natural raptor hybrids at the upcoming Raptor Research Foundation meeting in November. Could you ask the photographers if I could use their images in the talk, with photo credits, of course.
Cheers, Bill
rka
ttbirds
Wondering how do we identify a hybrid from a species perspective.
These should be tracked if possible somewhere in Opus.
These should be tracked if possible somewhere in Opus.
pbjosh
missing the neotropics
Hybrid is an interesting theory. However, if the overall coloration is not seen as ruling out a pure White-tailed Hawk, I am not sure I see a strong argument against a non-hybrid White-tailed Hawk.
I would highly recommend posting the photos and a summary of the discussion so far to the FB group "Advanced Bird ID." Many experts in that group and might get some more interesting thoughts.
I would highly recommend posting the photos and a summary of the discussion so far to the FB group "Advanced Bird ID." Many experts in that group and might get some more interesting thoughts.
