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Austin Tx - Hawk ID please (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter PhotoSyko
- Start date
It is a mature moulting Broad-winged Hawk. The broad white bar in the middle of the tail is the defining mark. Cooper's Hawks have a longer gray tail with equal width black bands. Broadwings are migrating north now and the other day I saw a couple of them flying over Interstate 81 near where I live. They were taking advantage of the thermals coming off it. Their white banded tails were easy to see, even from my car.
Bob
Bob
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This is a little funny, because I do not recognize that tail as typical for the Broad-wings I most often have seen: Caribbean birds in Dominica (there is at least one additional prominent pale band visible in the tail). There is a reason they are different subspecies.
Niels
Wheeler notes that in his "Raptors of North America" series and has photographs in the Chapter on the Broad-winged Hawk showing birds with more than one white band. See plates 249, 252 and 253 of adult birds.
Here is a quote from the section on "ADULT TRAITS TAIL (dorsal).-Black with one pale gray band on mid-section of the dorsal side, sometimes an additional narrow white or pale gray band at the base. TAIL (ventral),-Black with one broad white band that is always visible on the mid-section. When fanned, an additional one or two narrow white bands may also show."
He also notes that a "single broad white band shows when the tail is closed." in plates 250 and 251 and in plate 249 he notes that "Many birds show 2 broad white bands when tail is fanned." And in Plate 252 "Some show up to 3 broad white bands; .."
So, it seems that whether or not the tail is fanned can determine how many white bands can be seen but there is always one wide central band visible.
Bob
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