Hawk - Monterey, California 31 January (1 Viewer)

[jmtully]

Two photos of same hawk in a tree top in a suburban neighborhood. My best guess is red-shouldered based on apparent pattern on abdomen which is slightly evident in the first picture. I didn’t see anything that really looked pointed toward re-tailed or anything else. Any ideas? Thank you!

 

[Butty]

I'd guess red-tailed hawk. Doesn't have the stocky/stumpy proportions of red-shouldered hawk.

 

[THE_FERN]

I'd guess red-tailed hawk. Doesn't have the stocky/stumpy proportions of red-shouldered hawk.

I didn't suggest an id because I was unsure. However, aren't the white rump/tail bar (unclear to me which) and the apparent horizontal fine belly bars at odds with red-tailed?

...is ferruginous hawk out of the question?

 

[lockbreeze926]

It doesn't strike me as a perfect fit for any particular species but juv Red-Tail maybe feels closest. The overall slight appearance could suggest Red-shouldered, though, as would the barring, if it's real.

I'd expect Ferruginous to be perceptibly bulkier all round than this.

 

[jmtully]

Thanks for the help here.

I ruled out ferruginous hawk based mostly on habitat. This was in a suburban neighborhood surrounded by wooded area. I looked at ferruginous as more open country.

Would we expect to see more of the leg on a red-shouldered hawk? That might point towards red-tailed?

 

[birdmeister]

The plumage seems to fit "Western" Redtail OK to me, with all the variation that they tend to show. Unless it's a true dark morph, Ferruginous should not show such an evenly dark brown head and throat (good for Redtail).

 

[jmtully]

Thanks all for the discussion and insight here. Sounds like a consensus of red-tailed.

 

[Mendobirder]

It is a Red-tailed. The combination of dark head + pale chest = red-tailed, on the west coast. This one has some brown streaking on its chest, but that's not unusual for Red-tails; and that black shadow is confusing things somewhat. You can see wingtips extending nearly to the tail-tip, ruling out red-shouldered (which would have a different shape to the head and body, and much darker and blotchier marking on chest and belly). That big dark head atop a pale body really rules out all other options in California.

 

[KC Foggin]

Red-tailed for me.