| Common Name | Northern Red-tailed Hawk |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Buteo jamaicensis abieticola |
| Type of Report | Rare Species |
| Date of Observation | 01/11/2019 |
| Number Observed | 1 |
| Reporting Observer's Name | Susan Elliott |
| Mailing Address | 62 Heather Ln Rutland, VT 05701 United States Map It |
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| Date Completed | 01/24/2019 |
| Names & Emails of Other Contributing Observers | Marvin Elliott, |
| Latitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | 43.80941 |
| Longitude of Observation (enter 0 if unable to provide) | -73.2473751 |
| Place Name | Griswold Ln |
| Township | Orwell |
| County | Addison |
| Vermont eBird Checklist URL | ebird.org |
| Time of Day | 11:36 AM |
| Length of Time Observed | 4-5 minutes |
| Maximum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 300 yards |
| Minimum Estimated Distance from Bird (in feet) | 300 yards |
| Noteworthy Weather Conditions | sunny and clear; very cold |
| Optical Equipment Used for Observation | Vortex Viper 8x42 |
| Observer’s Previous Acquaintance With This or Similar Species | Have seen 4-5 times since becoming aware of subspecies a couple years ago. On 1/1/2018 I saw a Northern Red-tailed Hawk in the same area (on Old Sawmill Road, which runs parallel about 1/4 mile and is visible from Griswold Lane). An RSD, with photos, was completed and approved for that sighting. |
| I certify that any attachments included with this report were captured during this observation event. | |
| Description of Habitat | Open farm fields surrounded by brushy/tree borders; no other birds in immediate area. The closest other raptor was a Rough-legged Hawk, but I don't recall it being terribly close to the Northern Red-tailed Hawk. At the end of Griswold Lane, a one-mile long road, is a turkey farm where the second Red-tailed Hawk (not an abieticola) was observed along with 17 Bald Eagles and a high number of Common Ravens. |
| Behaviors Observed | hawk was sitting entire time |
| Description of Vocalizations | none |
| Verbal Narrative & Description of Observation | The bird was sitting the entire time. We only spent a few minutes looking at it as we were doing the Mid-Winter Bald Eagle Survey and did not have much time. |
| Relative Size & Shape | buteo-sized bird |
| Head | dark head, and cheek, no discernible supercilium |
| Feet & Bill | dark, hooked bill; feet not observed |
| Upper Back | not visible |
| Lower Back & Rump | not visible |
| Wings | folded, dark |
| Breast, Belly, Flanks, Under Tail Coverts | dark belly band consisting of vertical streaks, somewhat narrower in the middle; 'dribbles' from neck extending into breast |
| Tail | did not note |
| IMPORTANT: What similar species were eliminated when making the identification and how was this bird different? | In addition to this bird, there was an adult Red-tailed Hawk about 1/2 mile down the road. It had a pale belly band. There was also a Rough-legged Hawk, a light morph, in the area. It had a paler head and chin, with more dark, but no vertical stripes on the breast. |
| Other Notes & Comments | No. |
| This report was written from notes taken: | Written from Memory |
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