Specific sub-species and morph of these two Red-tailed Hawks

[smittyone@cox.net]

This pair of immature RTHA were both seen in Bellevue, NE on Monday and Tuesday.  Although they're both immature birds, one is slightly older than the other (darker eyes, redder tail).  I believe these are the Eastern ssp., the dominant variant in my area during Spring and Summer.  Are they light or intermediate morph birds?  The 1st three pics are all of the younger of the two birds.  The last pic is the slightly older one.  I don't have pics of the back or tail of the older bird.

[Kerri]

They both look to be banded?

[Seanbirds]

8 minutes ago, Kerri said:

They both look to be banded?

Yeah, that’s kinda interesting.

[Tony Leukering]

12 hours ago, smittyone@cox.net said:

intermediate morph birds

There's no such thing in borealis (Eastern). They're buffy-breasted because they're recent fledglings. Light morph juvs of RTHA and FEHA share this feature.

[smittyone@cox.net]

10 hours ago, Tony Leukering said:

There's no such thing in borealis (Eastern). They're buffy-breasted because they're recent fledglings. Light morph juvs of RTHA and FEHA share this feature.

Am I misunderstanding what you're saying?  Buteo jamaicensis borealis isn't a "recognized" subspecies of RTHA?  Or there is not an "intermediate" morph of the Eastern RTHA?

[IKLland]

47 minutes ago, smittyone@cox.net said:

Am I misunderstanding what you're saying?  Buteo jamaicensis borealis isn't a "recognized" subspecies of RTHA?  Or there is not an "intermediate" morph of the Eastern RTHA?

There are no morphs of the subspecies Borealis. But it still is a subspecies.

[Seanbirds]

1 hour ago, smittyone@cox.net said:

Am I misunderstanding what you're saying?  Buteo jamaicensis borealis isn't a "recognized" subspecies of RTHA?  Or there is not an "intermediate" morph of the Eastern RTHA?

 

11 hours ago, Tony Leukering said:

There's no such thing in borealis (Eastern). They're buffy-breasted because they're recent fledglings. Light morph juvs of RTHA and FEHA share this feature.

 

[Jerry Friedman]

If these fledgelings were seen together, I wouldn't be surprised at all if they're siblings, and the differences in eye and tail color are more individual variation than a difference of a couple days in age.  All subject to correction.

[smittyone@cox.net]

Thank you everyone for your help

[Jerry Friedman]

22 hours ago, Kerri said:

They both look to be banded?

Actually, I'm now wondering whether it would be possible to track down the bander and whether they could identify the birds from these excellent photos, even though the band numbers aren't visible.  There can't be too many people banding this year's Red-tails in eastern Nebraska.  (I'm also wondering whether these birds were banded in the nest.)

[smittyone@cox.net]

Just now, Jerry Friedman said:

Actually, I'm now wondering whether it would be possible to track down the bander and whether they could identify the birds from these excellent photos, even though the band numbers aren't visible.  There can't be too many people banding this year's Red-tails in eastern Nebraska.  (I'm also wondering whether these birds were banded in the nest.)

The band numbers are certainly visible on both birds' bands.  I'll be glad to provide those numbers here if anyone wants to pursue this further.

[Jerry Friedman]

2 hours ago, smittyone@cox.net said:

The band numbers are certainly visible on both birds' bands.  I'll be glad to provide those numbers here if anyone wants to pursue this further.

That would be great.  If you don't want to do it yourself (and get a certificate, at least if they're federal bands), I'd be happy to do it, and I think a lot of people here would.  In addition to the band numbers, the location is needed (if there are no privacy concerns, I imagine the latitude and longitude to three or four decimal places, or a street address, would be plenty), and the date when each picture that shows a band number was taken.

If you decide to report them yourself, the place to start is https://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/bblretrv/.