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English and Scientific names: |
Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis)
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Number of individuals: |
1 light juvenile |
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Locality: |
Cameron
Parish
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Specific Locality: |
PSI Midstream Cameron Meadows Gas Processing
Plant nr. Johnson Bayou Baptist Church/library (MP 15.5)
off LA-82, ca. 0.5 mi. E of Johnson Bayou
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Date(s) when observed: |
30
October 2010
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Time(s) of day when observed: |
~2:00
– 2:30 PM CDT
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Reporting observer and address: |
Devin Bosler Lancaster,
PA 17601 |
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Other observers accompanying
reporter who also identified the bird(s): |
m. ob.
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Other observers who
independently identified the bird(s) |
James Beck (originally discovered on 27 Oct),
Paul Conover, Mac Myers, m. ob.
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Light conditions (position
of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): |
Clear sky with optimal mid-afternoon sunlight. Sun angle high and behind observer. Backlighting or glare not a factor.
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Optical equipment: |
Zeiss
Victory FL 8x42, Kowa TSN 881 Angled 88mm scope w/ 20-60x optical zoom , Canon Powershot SD1100 IS (all equipment in
excellent condition)
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Distance to bird(s): |
ca.
75-100 meters
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Duration of observation: |
~30
min.
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Habitat: |
Rural
residential/industrial corridor on chenier ridge
plain amid vast pastures, fallow fields, freshwater and saline marshes.
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Behavior of bird: |
Resting and preening on
large (dead) live oak snags. Observed
at rest and in flight. Soaring
overhead briefly before drifting eastward. |
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Description: |
Very large, pale Buteo. Upperparts uniform dark brown. Extensively pale, largely
unmarked underparts (some dark flecking on belly and sides/flanks). Dark crown and nape
contrasting with whitish auriculars and throat. Darkish eye line. Pale supercilium. White feathering down tarsus. Long, yellow gape
reaching center line of eye. Pale yellow irides.
Large bright yellow cere. Bright yellow feet. Wingtips did not reach tail tip when
perched. In flight, white bases to
primaries creating large pale panel near wingtips. Dark “comma” noticeable
at wrist. Underwings very pale
with scattered dark markings. Tapered wingtips in flight. Base of tail entirely
white with light bands on distal half.
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Voice: |
Silent.
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Similar species: |
Typical Eastern Red-tailed
Hawk (B. j. borealis) can be
eliminated by overall large size, pale head, lack of
dark belly band, white tail base, and long gape. Krider’s Red-tailed Hawk (B. j. krideri) can be eliminated by
overall large size, lack of dark markings on underwings and tail, and long
gape. No
other similar N.A. raptors.
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Photographs or tape
recordings obtained? |
Digiscoped photographs by Devin
Bosler. Yes, attached.
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Previous experience with
this species: |
Prior experience from multiple
Western states incl. NM, ID, MT, and TX. |
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Identification aids: |
National
Geographic Complete Birds of N.A. (Alderfer et al. 2005), Raptors of Eastern
North America (Wheeler 2003).
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This description is written from: |
notes made during the observation,
notes made after the observation, memory.
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Are you positive of your
identification? If not, explain: |
Yes
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Date and time: |
27 October 2010
Time: 10:30 PM CDT |