[tramsey8]

Got a couple of quick shots of this Hawk on my lunch hour.
Based on the dark tail with thin white bands... & the light "crescents" on the wings... I'm gonna say Red Shouldered. I'll wait for a confirmation from the experts before I count it... but if it's a RSH then it's another lifer.

I'm on a role this week

[cnybirder]

This would be a Broad-winged Hawk.

[EDIT]:Steveo is right. I didn't look at the second photo and I only saw the one band in the first photo.

[steveo]

I think this is a Red Shouldered-hawk with those multiple narrow bands on the tail. A bwh would have only one.

[Jeff hopkins]

With those crescents and that long tail? Gotta be a shoulder.

[ceasar]

Difficult to tell the difference because of the heavy back lighting. Broadwings can also show multiple tail bands, esp. when the tail is fanned as in picture #2. Additionally the wing pattern in picture #2 is much like a Broadwing. Picture #1 also shows a single broad white band. A Red-shoulder's band is narrower. See plates 230 and 231 in Wheeler's Raptors of Eastern North America for Broadwings and plates 213 -215 for Red-shoulders.
Bob

[njlarsen]

I am in the red-shouldered camp on this one. Photos in my Dunne, Sibley, and Sutton shows wider white bands on the broadwing than in the unknown here, and the crescent on the nearer wing in image two is pretty much diagnostic.

Niels

[JANJ]

Hi all.

The Buteo is a Red-shouldered Hawk!
Diffenrences from Broad-winged in flight can be seen here, two adults with three juveniles:

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/86142101

and a piece on the ID of juveniles:

http://www.utahbirds.org/featarts/20...WingedHawk.htm

Note the pointed wing tip (4 fingers, 5 fingers in RSH), which contributes to a different shape, the tail pattern - one wide pale band and one narrower at the tail base, 3-4 narrower pale band in RSH
Also note that in this image the pale crescent at the outer primaries on this BWH might give the impression of a RSH, but other characters should prevent from confusing with RSH.

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/86088458

To be compared to this:(note the barred 'fingers')

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_36/image/72979641

Some more:

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_...ad_winged_hawk

http://www.pbase.com/4dabirds/image/42778907

http://www.pbase.com/mctodd/image/74429600

http://www.pbase.com/csloan/image/74754308

http://www.pbase.com/joseph_kennedy_...houldered_hawk

http://www.pbase.com/raul_q/redshouldered_hawk

California race elegans which is brighter, juveniles more similar to adults than in other races:

http://www.pbase.com/garrettlau/reds...dhawk&page=all

JanJ

[ceasar]

Excellent analysis Jan!
Bob

[tramsey8]

Thanks to everyone for another great educational discussion. I didn't have time to say it in my original post (too busy because I was late getting back from lunch)... but the local Audoban Society had reported several RSH sitings at a nearby park... & I had gone to this location on a mission to find one. I saw this bird perched on a light pole as I pulled into the parking lot & knew that it wasn't one of the usual Red-tails or Swainson's I see every day. The second it took to the air I fett I had found what I came for... but I had to park before I could get my camera on him. Those were the only 2 shots I got.

Thanks again for the confirmation & education!!!

[I_should_be_studying]

Yeah I agree. Red- shouldered.

Their head is also really familiar. Really bulbous with a tiny beak. Well.. it is to my unfamiliar eye...