BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Big Chain" data-source="post: 1381576" data-attributes="member: 69782">I would like to thank everyone's input !! Because of this post, I even ordered the Wheeler's Raptors of Eastern North America today.Want to make this clear...No disrespect to those who thinks the bird is not a red-tailed. Everyone here is forcing me to become a better birder, Thank You again !!I think it is a juv red-tailed (although not 100% sure) since I did observed the bird w/ bins. With that said, RSH are rare in NJ and I have only seen a few and most of them adults in flight or during fall migration at Hawk Mountain in PA. So, it could well be a RSH.My Wheeler's North American Raptors specifically indicate "Juv red-tailed have longer tails than adults", and both RSH and RT wingtips fall somewhat short of tail tip on perched birds.What bothers me about my decision is the flicker kill w/ the bird. Reserched the Life History of N. American  Birds of Prey by Bent, and, as expected, it references that birds are not the typical diet of RT, and also states that " birds are not so often taken by the RSH'. The surrounding area where hawk was observed has very little traffic or even any significant development to speak of. However, I am uncertain what type of conclusion flicker kill could provide in ID'ing this hawk.</blockquote>