LOUISIANA BIRD RECORDS COMMITTEE

REPORT FORM

1.English and Scientific names: Rough-legged Hawk, Buteo lagopus

2. Number of individuals, sexes, ages, general plumage (e.g., 2 in alternate plumage):

one. Possibly a light juvenile.

3. Locality: Parish: _Natchitoches_________

Specific Locality: _west of I49 just past the Powhatan exit.

4. Date(s) when observed: There were many observers but from the Shreveport BSG database and eBird:

09-Jan-99	1	Powhatan barrow pits & Pleasant Hill exit of I-49.	Charles Lyon
10-Jan-99	1	I-49, borrow pits.	Mac Hardy and Jim Ingold
11-Jan-99	1	Powhatan exit on I-49.	Pat and Hubert Hervey
11-Jan-99	1	I-49 at Powhatan exit.	Rosemary Seidler and Ellen Stevenson
12-Jan-99	1	Powhatan Exit I-49	Paul Dickson
13-Jan-99	1	Powhatan exit borrow pits on I-49.	Jim Ingold
15-Jan-99	2	I-49, Powhatan Exit and Pleasant Hill Exit	Ed & Shirley Huss
16-Jan-99	1	I-49	Jeff Trahan
17-Jan-99	1	Powhatan Exit, I49	Bill Wood
24-Jan-99	1	I49 @ Powhatan	Jim Ingold
24-Jan-99	1	Lock & Dam #4 and the I-49 barrow pits	Charles Lyon
24-Jan-99	1		Mary Mehaffey (6 in party)-eBird
04-Feb-99	1	I-49 at Powhatan exit (ca. 49 mi. S Bert Kouns).	Jim Ingold.
06-Feb-99	1	I-49, Powhatan exit	Bird Study Group
16-Feb-99	1	I-49 barrow pits at Powhatan exit.	Jim Ingold.
18-Feb-99	1	I-49 at Powhatan	Larry R. Raymond
19-Feb-99	1	I-49 at Powhatan exit/King Hill Rd.	Rosemary Seidler
25-Feb-99	1	I-49 barrow pits	Jim Ingold
04-Mar-99	1	I-49 Powhatan barrow pits	Jim Ingold
14-Mar-99	1	I-49 at Powhatan and sod farm	Jim Ingold and Terry Davis

5. Time(s) of day when observed: various. I personally saw it once at 10 am and once at near 4pm.

6. Reporting observer and address: Rosemary Seidler, Shreveport, LA 71104 rseidler@centenary.edu

7. Other observers accompanying reporter who also identified the bird(s): Ellen Middleton

8. Other observers who independently identified the bird(s): see list above

9. Light conditions (position of bird in relation to shade and to direction and amount of light): varied

10. Optical equipment (type, power, condition): Kowa scope X60, Leica binoculars X10

11. Distance to bird(s): varied

12. Duration of observation: varied

13. Habitat: agricultural field surrounding borrow pits off of I49. This area holds many Red-tailed Hawks during the winter.

14. Behavior of bird / circumstances of observation (flying, feeding, resting; include and stress habits used in identification; relate events surrounding observation): depending on observer, flying or sitting. It was flying and hunting when I saw it. I also observed it “kiting” briefly.

15. Description (include only what was actually seen, not what "should" have been seen; include if possible: total length/relative size compared to other familiar species, body bulk, shape, proportions, bill, eye, leg, and plumage characteristics. Stress features that separate it from similar species): a bit larger than the Red-tailed Hawks which were also flying in the area. Same general shape as RTHA-clearly a buteo. White tail with dark tip seen from above or below. Underside of wings were white with dark on the tips and a large dark area at the “wrist.”

16. Voice: didn’t hear it call

17. Similar species (include how they were eliminated by your observation): Red-tailed Hawk, while it may not have a red tail does not have the large dark patches on wrist nor can you see from above a white patch on the tail.

18. Photographs or tape recordings obtained? (by whom? attached?): Charlie Lyon was the first to see and identify the bird. He obtained photos but he is not sure of the date of the photos. His unaltered(except for age) photos were sent to Donna Dittmann. Two are submitted with this report.

19. Previous experience with this species: I had seen only one previously.

20. Identification aids: (list books, illustrations, other birders, etc. used in identification):

Charlie Lyon reported it so I went looking for it. Looked at several books beforehand.

a. at time of observation: National Geographic

b. after observation:

21. This description is written from: _____ notes made during the observation (_____notes attached?);__X___notes made after the observation (date:_1/11/1999_); _____memory.

22. Are you positive of your identification if not, explain: yes

23. Date:___12/13/12_______Time:_______

Note: While looking through the BSG data base 2 earlier entries were found.

20-Jan-52	1	Gilliam: Logan Airfield	Horace H. Jeter
30-Dec-56	1	Caddo Parish Penal Farm	Horace H. Jeter and J. R. Stewart, Jr.

George Lowrey (1955) lists Rough-legged Hawk as a rare winter visitor. He acknowledged using Horace Jeter’s records from north Louisiana in preparation for his book. It would appear that the “first” record is at least as early as Jan 1952. Jim Stewart’s records are not in the BSG database so there may be even earlier records.