Whatbird.com

Hi,

I saw this raptor on the 2nd of Feb in Ridgefield OR. Could this be a Rough Legged Hawk? Here are two slightly diferent views :

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/my_american_friends_/picture24375.aspx
http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/my_american_friends_/picture24374.aspx

thanks,
- india_birder

 

Juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.

 

I'd say red-tailed hawk. 

So I guess this is one is also one of the same ?

 

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/my_american_friends_/picture24391.aspx

 

- india_birder 

Actually, the bird in your second post is indeed a Rough-legged Hawk.

Hmm, I'm actually not sure about this one.  What in the second post's pic makes you think it is a Rough-legged, as opposed the pics in the first post?  

First one is a Red tailed hawk and the second one is a Rough legged hawk.

:) Now, THAT was a surprise guys. I think I can now see some differences but ephily & barredowl can you please explain why you think these were different birds?

- india_birder 

Those are different birds because a Rough legged hawk is almost all black and they have a white breast, a Red tailed hawk usually has a few streaks on its breast.

Hmmm... The problem was that I found some pics on the Net which differed from that view. Please see http://www.artfullbirds.com/Rough-legged%20Hawk.jpg. This bird has lots more white than my Rough-Legged Hawk isn't it? There lay my confusion... But then I know raptors display great variance so I was hoping there was something else other than colour of the under-side of my bird which lead you to your conclusion... Was there?

My computer won't let me view that page, but anyway the variation can vary. I forgot to say that in my last post.

Second raptor looks like a Rough-leg to me.

barredowl, here's that image :

http://www.whatbird.com/forums/photos/my_american_friends_/images/24505/thumb.aspx

I've uploaded it to 'whatbird' for easy reference. This RLH is mostly white !!

- india_birder 

india_birder:

What they didn't explain to you is that Rough-legged Hawks also come in dark morphs, from nearly solid black to having a lot of white, your bird is mostly dark with a little white on the chest. Take a look at this picture similar to your bird: http://www.montananaturalist.org/Website%20titles/images/rough-legged.gif

 

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featherbrain

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Thanks featherbrain. But if you can't rely on the plumage then how do you guys differentiate b/w a Red-Tailed & a Rough-Legged Hawk?

- india_birder