Why are California and Florida Red-shoulders are so tame compared to Eastern Red-shoulders. It is an interesting question, and one that is really difficult to answer. I've heard theories over the years on why certain birds are "tamer" than others but none of the theories ever made exact sense. Some…

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Cathy Sheeter sent me a photo (shown here) of a mated pair of Swainson's Hawks and it gave me an idea for a blog post. The bird on the right lacks a complete bib, but it is still an adult. This is something that occurs on some adults, and of…

Fall migration will be here soon, and birders love to discuss the ages of eagles that pass by their local hawk watches (I love it too). Ageing Golden Eagles to a specific year can be difficult (even in the hand) and there is quite a bit to know to be…

Brian Grimmett from KUER.org joined us and volunteers to to check a Kestrel nest box and band the chicks as part of our American Kestrel Study. This nest box was located on Salt Lake County open space/park land, and highlights our new partnership.   http://kuer.org/post/salt-lake-county-helps-hawkwatch-international-study-kestrel-falcons  

Much about raptor biology, taxonomy, and other aspects is still unknown and understudied. For instance, just in the past 6 or 7 years alone we have learned a great deal about the overlap in range and plumage of Harlan's Red-tailed Hawks with other subspecies…and Harlan's is one of the more…

Each week, I post a few photos that people have sent me requesting an ID. Sometimes I never get the name of the photographer, so if you see your photo posted here, please let me know (and I hope you don't mind, I post the pics to be educational).I'd love…

When juvenile Red-tailed Hawks are recently fledged they show a colorful buffy-orange chest like this bird photographed July 1st (image #1), but this coloration fades by late fall and becomes whitish. The fading process takes a bit longer in some birds, but for the most part the chest completely loses…

Fox 13 joined us and volunteers to to check a Kestrel nest box and band the chicks as part of our American Kestrel Study. http://fox13now.com/2014/06/28/local-study-may-help-dwindling-american-kestrel-population/

I want to point out something very tricky regarding Cooper's Hawks. If you flip through the accipiter section of any field guide, you will likely read something to the effect: "...juvenile accipiters are streaked below, with Cooper's Hawks the most lightly marked..." In my guides, I remark to "proceed with…