SmilingBirder Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Sept 4, 2018, Arrowwood NWR, SE North Dakota Large hawk, rather broad wings, but I don't think it's a broad-winged hawk. Flew in circles a lot, at heights from 20 to 50 feet or more. Then perched in this dead tree. It didn't seem to be a dihedral wing position. The wing tips were long dark "fingers". I'm thinking ferruginous hawk, partly because it's so bulky, and it seemed pretty large when it was flying. But in the picture where it raises it's wings, the color pattern seems wrong, like dark and light are reversed from what they should be. I'm sorry I don't have better pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooFly Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Harris hawk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvoryBillHope Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Juvenile Bald Eagle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psweet Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Ferruginous, as you noted, would have dark wing linings and very white flight feathers. It would also have feathered tarsi, instead of the bare yellow ones you see here. (More useful in photos, actually.) Broad-winged is actually rather small, especially for a buteo, and the wings aren't actually any broader than any other buteo. (Actually, Red-tails have noticeably broader wings, especially our eastern adults.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmilingBirder Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 20 minutes ago, IvoryBillHope said: Juvenile Bald Eagle. That seems to fit. Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmilingBirder Posted September 5, 2018 Author Share Posted September 5, 2018 4 hours ago, TooFly said: Harris hawk? Good idea, except not in North Dakota, and the underwing colors aren't right Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psweet Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 I agree that it's not a Harris' -- there's no rust on the shoulders, the white on the undertail coverts isn't well-defined, and as noted the underwing is wrong. But never rule out Harris' Hawk by range -- they're one of the most commonly kept falconer's birds, thanks to their cooperative hunting habits, and they can occasionally show up anywhere as a result. (I've watched one flying in Wisconsin -- to make things simpler, as soon as I figured out what he was, he flew to his owner's hand....) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TooFly Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 Thanks...almost changed my guess to juvenile bald but...I’m a man and it hurts to admit I’m wrong!!! 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️😭😂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted September 5, 2018 Share Posted September 5, 2018 16 minutes ago, TooFly said: Thanks...almost changed my guess to juvenile bald but...I’m a man and it hurts to admit I’m wrong!!! 🤷🏼♂️🤦🏼♂️😭😂 Oddly enough, that's one of the reasons I'm in birding - to get over myself. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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