| Common Name | Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola) |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis abieticola |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 01/01/2018 |
| Media | |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Susan Elliott |
| Mailing Address | 62 Heather Ln Rutland, VT 05701 United States Map It |
| Email hidden; Javascript is required. | |
| Date Completed | 01/04/2018 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Sue Wetmore, ; Marv Elliott, |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.819458 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.232595 |
| Place Name | Old Sawmill Rd |
| Township | Orwell |
| County | Addison |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 10:10 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 5-8 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 150 yards |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 150 yards |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | clear; -16 degrees F; sun behind us; 0 mph wind |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Vortex Viper 8x42 (S. Elliott), Vortex Viper 8x42 (M. Elliott), Vortex Razor HD 8x42 (Wetmore) |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | none |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | open, snow-covered field; tree row where hawk was sitting on a branch; no other birds in the immediate area although Bald Eagle and Rough-legged Hawk were observed on the same eBird checklist |
| Behaviors Observed | bird sat during entire observation, occasionally turning its head, but no other movement |
| Description of Vocalizations | none |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | We saw the bird perched in a tree and stopped to look through our binoculars and take photos. The bird did not move the entire time. Its dark belly band caught our attention. |
| Relative Size & Shape | Buteo-sized and shaped; slightly larger than a crow, considerably smaller than a Bald Eagle (one observed about 1/4 mile east of the Red-tailed Hawk) |
| Head | dark brown hood with 'dribbles' onto breast; dark eye |
| Feet & Bill | dark,raptor-shaped bill |
| Upper Back | not visible |
| Lower Back & Rump | not visible |
| Wings | dark, folded and not really visible |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | breast creamy white below the belly band, creamy white above with some faint orange-y tan markings; very dark belly band consisting of vertical bands, narrower in the middle |
| Tail | undertail pale |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | The bird was clearly a Red-tailed Hawk in shape, size and markings (but darker in head and belly band than Buteo jamaicensis borealis). Rough-legged Hawks were also present in the area, but those had lighter heads, white throats with dark at top of breast and white under-tail with dark band. |
| Other Notes & Comments | n/a |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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