| Common Name | Northern Red-tailed Hawk |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis abieticola |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 12/26/2018 |
| 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 | 12/30/2018 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Marv Elliott, |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.654708 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -72.971621 |
| Place Name | Prospect Hill Rd |
| Township | Rutland Town |
| County | Rutland |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 11:39 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | about 5-6 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 150" |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 150" |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | mostly sunny; mid-day winter sun behind us so lighting on the bird was excellent |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Vortex Viper 8x42 (both observers) |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | abieticola subspecies observed (with photos) in January 2018 and February 2018; RSDs submitted and accepted |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | active farm; hayfield on west side; corn (cut) on right side; 175 Rock Pigeons on nearby barn roof and in field; other species on eBird checklist were in a different area of the travelling count |
| Behaviors Observed | bird sat on power pole during approximate five-minute observation before flying east and out of sight behind tree line at edge of field |
| Description of Vocalizations | none |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | We could clearly see it was a Red-tailed Hawk as we approached. We stopped to take photos when we realized that that this was the abeticola subspecies. It was perched on a power pole and sat for about five minutes as we took photos before it flew off. |
| Relative Size & Shape | size and shape of a buteo |
| Head | dark brown hood with no distinct markings on face or head; eyes appeared to be dark; reddish brown dribbles down breast from the head (paler than abeticola I've observed previously, but still 'dribbly') |
| Feet & Bill | feet not visible while sitting on pole; raptor-shaped bill, dark, down-turned tip |
| Upper Back | dark, but not observed except briefly in flight |
| Lower Back & Rump | not observed |
| Wings | wings dark and unmarked when perched; when it flew off we did not get a clear view of the underwings due to our position relative to the bird |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | 'belly band' was dark and consisting of thick vertical lines, appeared to be slightly narrower in the center; undertail coverts not seen |
| Tail | dark, rusty red; only seen briefly while bird was in flight |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis borealis, ruled out because of dark, vertically lined belly band and neck 'dribbles' on observed bird. Breast markings and lighter head not consistent with a light Rough-legged Hawk, which is not a common observation in Rutland County (unsure how common Northern Red-tailed Hawk is either as we have just started noting them). |
| Other Notes & Comments | adult |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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