|
English and Scientific names: |
Ferruginous
Hawk, Buteo regalis
|
|
Number of individuals: |
1 light first
year
|
|
Locality: |
Cameron
|
|
Specific Locality: |
Hwy 82, about 1 mile E of Johnsons Bayou |
|
Date(s) when observed: |
December 27,
2010
|
|
Time(s) of day when observed: |
9:55 AM
|
|
Reporting observer and address: |
Paul E. Conover
Lafayette, LA |
|
Other observers
accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
Mac Myers
|
|
Other observers who
independently identified the bird(s) |
Assuming this
is the same bird that was present last October/November, many observers. No others have reported seeing it on this
go-around.
|
|
Light conditions
(position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Sunny,
mid-morning light near the solstice, so sun to our SE, with bird to our
SW. Pretty good light, especially
through scope.
|
|
Optical equipment: |
Zeiss 10s, Nikon
scope 20-60X, Nikon D50 with 200 mm lens
|
|
Distance to bird(s): |
Maybe 200
yards at closest, well more than that at most distant.
|
|
Duration of observation: |
5-10 minutes but
viewing time a little less than that, as we were driving to keep up with
drift of bird.
|
|
Habitat: |
Open marsh
south of Highway 82. Scrubby chenier
with a few scattered stunted trees runs through the marsh here.
|
|
Behavior of bird: |
Soaring with
other hawks, and facing into a strong SE wind and kiting.
We noted the
paleness of this bird and the different morphology from the numerous of
Red-tailed Hawks with our naked eyes.
We stopped to watch the bird and were able to ID as a Ferruginous.
|
|
Description: |
Large buteo with long
wings that narrowed considerably beyond the secondaries.
Underparts very white. Only
pronounced darker areas were the wrist commas and wingtips. There were sparsely
scattered darker markings tracing the edges of the underwing coverts. Patagial area white. Underside of head white, contrasting
sharply with darker “cap” of crown and auriculars. Head thus had the appearance of being ˝
dark, ˝ white. There was the
appearance of an eyeline or dark eyemask when the bird wheeled in certain angles
to the sun. From above, the bird had a
well-marked caracara-like pattern of white wingtips and tail area. Primaries whitish except for darker
fingers, contrasting with dark brown of rest of wings, including primary
coverts. Within dark brown areas,
there were paler markings, including slight pale area within primary coverts,
and in line along (median?) secondary coverts. Saddle looked solidly dark
brown, extending as a widow’s peak onto rump in some views. Uppertail coverts and base of tail whitish,
dusky wash on tip of tail, on about distal 1/2. Bird soared in noticeable
dihedral. |
|
Voice: |
no
vocalizations heard
|
|
Similar species: |
On paper,
young “Krider’s” Hawk very similar.
However, patagial mark is present even if faint on Krider’s. Krider’s primary panel is pale as well, but
usually (always?) is about the same color as the primary panel, giving a ˝
pale/ ˝ dark wing look, not the concentrated primary flash of a
Ferruginous. Capped look would also be
odd on a Krider’s.
Outer wings of this bird
were noticeably narrower than the wings of the redtails it was soaring with.
The flight posture of this bird was also visibly different from the redtails,
with an almost Marsh Hawk-like dihedral at times. |
|
Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Photos from a
distance, but I think the shape and pattern of Ferruginous is evident.
|
|
Previous experience with
this species: |
I’ve seen a few over the years out west and in
state, including one last October. |
|
Identification aids: |
|
|
This description is written from: |
Notes
committed to memory while watching bird, perusal of photos.
|
|
Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes.
|
|
Date: |
Dec 29,
2010. |