I want to comment on something that is difficult to see in the field but often obvious in close-up photos. For many raptors, eye color differs between juveniles and adults. This is true for Bald Eagles, female Harriers, accipiters, many buteos, and a few other species to a lesser degree. Birds such as falcons have […]
Eye Color Usually Matches Molt Read More »
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 »
