Beliza Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Good Morning, I am hoping to get any information about this large bird that was perched on my mailbox yesterday and made me wait to get my mail. My cat has been missing over a month and I'm trying to i.d. all possible outcomes :( Plus the bird is pretty fascinating. It was around 3pm Nov 20th and the house is about a block from the Atlantic Ocean. If I can attach the pictures you can see the white and brown mottled chest, yellow legs and talons, dark brown feathers with white lined tips etc. I didn't see the fly pattern. There were also 9 ibis in the yard at the time and I've never seen that many either! Any information would be greatly appreciated! I read about the red tailed hawk and another named with an "S" but there weren't enough pictures for me to understand the lingo etc. Happy Holidays!! Cheers, Becky Elizabeth Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skull Guy Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 You have got a red-shoulder hawk. Unlikely that it ate your cat but stranger things have happened! Welcome to Whatbird 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Bird Nuts Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 Welcome to Whatbird! I'm sorry to hear about your cat. I'm not sure this hawk is big enough to go for a cat, but who knows. The orange and white barred breast and belly combined with the black and white pattern in the wings and the black tail with thin white bands makes this an adult Red-shouldered Hawk. Yours also shows its reddish shoulder patch! Looks like you got a great view of this magnificent bird. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted November 21, 2018 Share Posted November 21, 2018 All About Birds says, "Red-shouldered Hawks eat mostly small mammals, lizards, snakes, and amphibians" so unless you had very small cat, there are likely other causes for the disappearance. I hope you find it. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/lifehistory If you'd like to learn more about birding, there's an Audubon chapter in your area. http://www.capefearaudubon.org/index_next2.html 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beliza Posted November 21, 2018 Author Share Posted November 21, 2018 I really appreciate all of your comments 🙂I think these kinds of forums are absolutely wonderful for learning and it may sound lame but it's the kindness of strangers taking the time to read, let alone respond, to my inquiry that means so much! I am going to tell my brother now as we are staying with him and my cat was older and quite large but in our 14 years together he has never left my sight more than a few moments...when I'm around. I've heard about other predators and saw a fox 2 nights ago but thought I should learn about this bird since it's an area n which I have very little knowledge. Thanks again!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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