[NatureNS] Broad-winged Hawk near Antigonish - photo diagnoses

Date: Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:35:23 -0400
From: iamclar@dal.ca
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All:

As others have concluded, the photos of a hawk obtained by Marilyn O'Brien near
Atntigonish and posted by Randy Lauff show it to be stocky buteo, and it is, in
fact, an adult or near-adult BROAD-WINGED HAWK. This species has been
increasingly regular here in early winter, but not many are seen after
December.

To demonstrate its i.d. I have posted a collage of two of the images on NS-RBA
photos, under the raptors file.

They have been brightened, upixellated, and sharpened, and the wash of false
blue - typical of underexposed images - has been eliminated. The two major tail
bars of BWHA, although obscured by bad lighting and branchlets, are good for
that species. Note also the soft brown and rather rounded, almost puffy head,
and especially the narrow flank barring  - good for Broad-winged and
Red-shouldered, but not Red-tailed. (I can't restore the reddish-brown hue of
these bars, which was lost in the dim light.) The Red-shouldered any late
immature or adult stage has much white checkering on flight feathers and at
least a hint of russet on the wings, even in dim light. This one has all dark
wings and the scattered pale feathering found on the mantles of many
Broad-winged, but nothing like the marks of Red-shouldered.

Everything is right about these images for Broad-winged, and nothing against
that i.d.

Cheers, Ian

Ian McLaren


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