Raptor - Central Coast California (1 Viewer)

[highlake]

Rough Legged Hawk?

 

[Bewick]

Red-tailed hawk

 

[rkj]

Rough-legged Hawk would have the legs feathered down to the toes.

 

[Patudo]

One of those situations where a brief glance with binoculars (and it looks like you'd get a lot more than a brief glance) would tell what it was immediately.

 

[highlake]

Rough-legged Hawk would have the legs feathered down to the toes.

It appears to me that there is striped feathering down the legs, hence my question.

 

[rkj]

There are feathers on the tibia (middle part of the leg, drumstick), but not the tarsus (lower part of the leg); the tarsus would be feathered in a Rough-legged Hawk.

 

[AveryBartels]

It appears to me that there is striped feathering down the legs, hence my question.

This is a very frequent mistake - the feathers from the upper part of the leg (tarsus) often come down and cover the lower part of the leg (tibia) creating the impression of a feathered tibia.

 

[highlake]

This is a very frequent mistake - the feathers from the upper part of the leg (tarsus) often come down and cover the lower part of the leg (tibia) creating the impression of a feathered tibia.

Ok, thanks. Red-tailed it is.

 

[rkj]

Some links to photos showing Red-tailed Hawks with bare tarsi: Red-tailed Hawk, young, red tailed hawk.jpg, and to Rough-legged Hawks with feathered tarsi: Why they're called rough-legged!, Guarding the Refuge.

 

[leif10]

Since I am from central CA coast, teach human anatomy, and have always wondered what "rough-legged" referred to (long-time but novice birder), this post caught my attention. Thank you, rkj and Avery for the insight. Also wanted to point out Avery had it flipped (tibia is above, tarsus below).

 

[tconzemi]

It's even more interesting as in birds you got a lot of bone fusions. In this case proximal to the 'ankle' you have a fusion of the tibia and proximal row of the tarsus called tibiotarsus and the distal part is a fusion of the distal row of the tarsus and metatarsus called tarsometatarsus.
To add some confusion, many people call the ankle in birds the knee which is in fact hidden in the plumage

Also wanted to point out Avery had it flipped (tibia is above, tarsus below).