I was reminded recently of a raptor tidbit and wanted to get your thoughts… I had heard long ago (yikes, 30 years ago) that most birds with whitish or pale primaries and secondaries have black tips to these feathers (not all do, of course) because the melanin in the dark part of the feather helps […]
One interesting aspect of raptors is how eye color changes as birds age from juvenile to adult. In some raptors, eye color takes a shorter time to change than in others, and sometimes this is even related to the sex of the bird, as males will typically change quicker than females. Certain species take as
Eye Color in Raptors Read More »
A conversation I had a while back made me think to discuss a certain topic in a blog post. You often hear that juvenile Northern Goshawks have “uneven” tail bands compared to the similar Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s Hawks that show even tail bands. And, for the most part, this is true, along with a few
Juvenile Goshawk “Uneven” Tail Bands Read More »
A subject came up today regarding dark patagials on Red-tailed Hawks. Almost all Red-tailed Hawks (but not all, some are so faint it isn’t fair to say they have dark patagials) have dark patagials of some sort (see post here: http://jerryliguori.blogspot.com/2013/09/red-tailed-hawk-patagial-marks.html). But did you know that Ferruginous Hawks can show dark patagials? Check out the 2
Patagials & Bellybands Read More »
Let me share a trick with you I figured out in the late 80’s – early 90’s, and still use when I am out watching hawks. On distant dark-bellied Bald Eagles, meaning juveniles or sub-adults (sub-adults have white bellies or dark bellies depending on age, molt, and variation), look for the pale area on the
