I need your help!!!
This bird appeared today in the tree my hawks have been hanging out in. The reason I noticed it was that several raven type birds were quite upset with its appearance and they made it their mission to try to bully him/her out of the area. The bird didn't leave, but it was causing quite a ruckus. Here's the thing...I can't identify it. It looks like a juvenile based on the very mottled feather patterns and the fact that the tail feathers do not at all match the wings. My first thought was juvenile Bald Eagle, but the beak doesn't seem right. It does NOT seem to be a hawk-it's bigger than they are. For size reference, I included the picture at the bottom...
I know it's very hard to see the bird, but that's the point. It is literally about 50-60 feet up. And if you zoom in at all, you can see it's a really big sucker!
Here's my hawk just for comparison...
So readers...any ideas???
Comments
He meets the description in my bird book,
"Adult dark brown with golden buff feathers on back of head all-dark tail. Immature has white at base of tail, and white patches on wings.
Great Picture! You could contact the local bird club & share your findings.
I'd never heard of a "dark phase" one before but follow this link to see another picture:
http://www.pbase.com/jpkln/image/38678153
Most Red-tailed Hawks are rich brown above and pale below, with a streaked belly and, on the wing underside, a dark bar between shoulder and wrist. The tail is usually pale below and cinnamon-red above, though in young birds it’s brown and banded. “Dark-phase” birds are all chocolate-brown with a warm red tail. “Rufous-phase” birds are reddish-brown on the chest with a dark belly.