Hawk

I believe it is a Red Tail all Spread out I-Flight

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Very nice Gary. Looks like a RTH from the band of spots on the belly. That's the only sure way I know of, since these birds can take on so many different color schemes.

canonloader wrote in post #3166396
Very nice Gary. Looks like a RTH from the band of spots on the belly. That's the only sure way I know of, since these birds can take on so many different color schemes.

Thanks Mitch

She flew over this morning when I was out catching up on the Eaglet.

Just got back last night from Cancun

I believe it is a female

That it is, great capture

Very nice Gary, love the full spread. They sure have neat patterns on the underside. Well done.

Great capture, Gary. Very well done.

You can't tell sex from plumage in the RTH. This individual looks like a juvenile (1st year) light-phase bird. RTHs vary widely in plumage, from very pale to almost solid dark. In any color phase, only the juveniles have the banded tails like your bird.

calicokat wrote in post #3167403
That it is, great capture

Thank Calico

It was a bonus shot this morning as I was updating on my Eagles

Very nice in-flight of a RTH Gary.

bromm wrote in post #3168103
Very nice Gary, love the full spread. They sure have neat patterns on the underside. Well done.

Thanks Trevor

I thought Everyone from PEI was in Cancun, Mex. Met Several couples from PEI and a couple from Nova Scotia.

stevefossimages wrote in post #3168140
Great capture, Gary. Very well done.

You can't tell sex from plumage in the RTH. This individual looks like a juvenile (1st year) light-phase bird. RTHs vary widely in plumage, from very pale to almost solid dark. In any color phase, only the juveniles have the banded tails like your bird.

Thanks Steve

I'm not sure it was a pretty big bird and I believe it was a female with the spotted collar

Kevin wrote in post #3168173
Very nice in-flight of a RTH Gary.

Thank You Kevin

I'm sorry I missed your Post.

I appreciate and value your comments.

Gary, you may be right. Red-tail sexes, though, according to Sibley and the Peterson Field Guide Series Hawks guide, are alike in plumage and overlap in size. So it being a large bird could make it a female, but I'm pretty conservative with bird ID, generally, and my comments tend to reflect that conservatism. It could also be an adult light-phase Harlan's hawk, which some consider a subspecies of red-tailed and others a distinct species.

Great shot Gary - love the lighting through the feathers

stevefossimages wrote in post #3168325
Gary, you may be right. Red-tail sexes, though, according to Sibley and the Peterson Field Guide Series Hawks guide, are alike in plumage and overlap in size. So it being a large bird could make it a female, but I'm pretty conservative with bird ID, generally, and my comments tend to reflect that conservatism. It could also be an adult light-phase Harlan's hawk, which some consider a subspecies of red-tailed and others a distinct species.

Thanks Steve

I believe it is a Red Tail Female, in the light phase. The Harlan's is Mostly found in your area or Canada not much down here.