provided by:
Priscilla Sokolowski
Eugene, OR
Photos from personal trips AND trips with
“Birds of Oregon and General Science” (BOGS)
Priscilla’s
Bird photography
provided by:
Priscilla Sokolowski
Eugene, OR
Photos from personal trips AND trips with
“Birds of Oregon and General Science” (BOGS)
Priscilla’s
Bird photography
WINTER RAPTORS of the Southern Willamette Valley
A mini-tutorial
INTRODUCTION
This online mini-tutorial does not attempt to go beyond providing some of the quickest and easiest to use field marks which can enable one to identify most of our Winter Raptors, if the bird can be observed enough. Because it relies largely on prominent plumage coloration and markings, ie, "field marks," it is not meant to enable you to identify very distant birds whose plumage cannot be discerned. For distant birds, say further than 1/4 mile, (or soaring at extremely high altitudes), one should make greater use of other clues such as the shapes of wings, bodies and tails. This mini-tutorial provides only a few basics of that information, but it can readily be found in field guides.
The Raptors we can almost count on during a day of birding in Linn County from Nov-Mar are:
- American Kestrel
- Red-tailed Hawk
- American Bald Eagle
- Northern Harrier
- Rough-legged Hawk
If you study only the parts of this tutorial about those species I think you will find yourself satisfied with your ability to ID the Wintering Raptors you are going to see most often.
The sequence of Raptors in this tutorial is approximately from most commonly seen progressing to less common, so the above mentioned five species are presented first, in the same order listed above.
I could have ended the mini-tutorial with the Rough-legged Hawk, but the fact is, we sometimes do see Northern Shrikes and Peregrine Falcons. During November and December of this year, 2018, we have had about three or four of each of those in the Southern Willamette Valley. Not only that, in Linn County we have encountered Short-eared Owls in the daytime now and then. At a few places such as Finley W.R. White-tailed Kites are often seen, and it is not unheard of to find a Prairie Falcon here in Western Oregon during the Winter. One or two are seen every Winter in Lane or Linn County.
All of the less common species I just named are not hard to identify, if seen well enough, so I have included them towards the bottom of this tutorial.
Some of our year-long resident Hawks might also be seen, depending on the types of habitat we pass through. Some of these are notoriously difficult to sort out from each other. For example it takes a while to learn to separate Sharp-shinned from Cooper's Hawks, and usually requires several kinds of "clues". Also, Merlin can easily be confused with Sharp-shinned Hawks or even American Kestrels at a distance; especially in the poor lighting where one often seems to encounter the Merlin. I will touch on all these species; but remember, if you only study the first five species it will serve you very well in the field.
The following are the much less common Raptors which are also included in this guide. To some extent the ones near the top of the list are more often found than those further down.
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Short-eared Owl
- Northern Shrike
- Peregrine Falcon
- White-tailed Kite
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Cooper's Hawk
- Prairie Falcon
INSTRUCTIONS
There are two ways to work through this guide. One way is to ignore the Menus and simply scroll down through the material from most common at the top, (American kestrel) to less common Winter Raptors. It would serve you well to watch the videos as you come to them as well. As mentioned before, if you only work through the first five species you will have some facility with all the Raptors we are very likely to see.
Another way to work through this material, is by using the MENUS. Perhaps the most useful MENU presents a group of Raptors which have one especially helpful field mark. The MENU is named: "Raptors with a DIAGNOSTIC Mark". The word DIAGNOSTIC as used by birding guides means a field mark which if present, is enough by itself to identify the species. For example, the white rump patch of the Northern Harrier at any age of any sex is diagnostic. (Another of our Winter Hawks has extensive white area from the base of the tail to the wide dark terminal band at the tip of the tail, so once you recognize the difference between a white rump patch and extensive white on the tail itself, beginning near the base of the tail, then you will not confuse these two birds.)
Within the MENUS you can click on any bird to jump to part of this guide where that bird is discussed and shown. Five of the Raptors presented here have such diagnostic field marks. Four of those species are among the most frequently seen.
Another MENU is a group of birds which have or appear at some distance, to have, white heads. Of course the American Bald Eagle is first in this group. Rough-legged Hawks are pretty large birds with whitish heads, and while up close you would see dark streaking on head and breast, at a distance you would likely miss that. I've seen birders call a Rough-legged Hawk a Bald Eagle - at first. Soon one sees that the white extends down to mid-breast, which it never does on a Bald Eagle. Some of the other of our "white-headed" Raptors are smaller, but at some distance size can be difficult to estimate correctly; White-tailed Kites and Northern Shrikes complete this group, but both of these are pretty uncommon.
If you work through the Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC field marks PLUS the "White-headed" Raptors, you will have seen photos and discussion of seven Raptor species, all of which might be encountered. (The ones least likely to be seen are Peregrine Falcon, White-tailed Kite and Northern Shrike, but again you could get lucky and see one or more of these as well).
The third group are Raptors with "sideburns" or "mustaches". We have three such species, only one of which we can be nearly certain of seeing (American Kestrel). The other two are found a few times each month somewhere in Lane and Linn counties, so one does not expect to see them. The Kestrel is the very first bird presented in this guide because it is the most commonly seen Raptor here in the Winter. It is pretty common all year around actually.
NOTE:
VIDEOS
Some videos will open in a new tab in your browser. Simply close that tab when finished
viewing it. This page should still be open for you. Or if you are using a smartphone
or device on which there are no browser tabs, then click the back button when done
viewing the video.
GLOSSARY
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MENUS
☰ CLICK HERE for Diagnostic Field Marks ☰
☰ CLICK HERE for White-headed Raptors ☰
☰ CLICK HERE for Raptors with "Mustaches" ☰
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- Three photos of American Kestrels as they are very often seen; perched on something not too high off the ground, often hunched over a bit studying the ground below for prey.
- The fencing in the photo below at left, gives a good sense of the size of this pigeon-sized Raptor.
- There are two sideburns on each side (nothing like the single, wide, dramatic, helmet-like sideburns of the Peregrine Falcon). Instead they are narrower. A dark marking near the back of their head almost makes it look like three "sideburns".
American Kestrel in flight: our smallest Raptor
VIDEO of American Kestrel Hovering
The video at right, taken by Don Laufer on Dec 31, 2018 shows an American Kestrel hovering. The bird stays in the same place in the air while flapping its wings quickly. Larger Hawks use more of a backward rowing motion of the wings to hover.
If video will not play for you click YOUTUBE link below
VIDEO of American Kestrel and more ...
The video below provides some helpful comparisons between the Merlin (another Falcon)
and an American Kestrel. It also shows the way a Merlin often flies very rapidly
in a direct B-line from one place to another. In addition, there is a section
of a skirmish between a Merlin and an American Kestrel, and finally some information about Peregrine Falcons
YOUTUBE link
YOUTUBE LINK
☰ MENU (click here) for Raptors with "Mustaches" (Falcons) ☰
☰ Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC Field Marks ☰
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The Red-tailed Hawk, like the Northern Harrier, has one field mark which is "diagnostic". (dark patagials - this is explained and illustrated below). That means if you see that field mark it is a Red-tailed Hawk. Game over.
While you would expect a single DIAGNOSTIC field mark to make it simple to identify a Red-tailed Hawk, it is easy to forget to look for it or notice it because there are other hawks with various markings which can easily distract you. Also, there are three different color variations of Red-tailed Hawks in our area (and many more across the nation).
Fortunately no matter which color variation you have, if you remember to look
at the underside (or leading edge) of the wing when it is flying,
a black or very dark brown line trims the leading edge from body to elbow,
and extends back from the front edge a short distance, making a dark bar.
Although less likely to be seen on a raptor run because it frequents edges of wooded areas,
I've included the Red-shouldered Hawk, side-by-side with the Red-tail Hawk
because it is fairly common year-round in the right habitat and like the Red-tailed Hawk, its patagials
are always a cinnamon color, which is diagnostic for this species; so it is convenient to learn it in this context.
You can ignore the information on the Red-shouldered Hawk if you feel there is already enough to learn
just with the Raptors we are likely to see on a Raptor Run.
We have a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk which is not nearly as common, and a light morph, and an intermediate. However, most large Hawks anywhere in Oregon are most likely light morph Red-tailed Hawks. Dave Irons says in his new book "Field Guide to Oregon Birds" "a good rule of thumb is that a large Hawk is a Red-tailed Hawk until proven otherwise." Still it's a good idea to look for that dark patagial to confirm your ID beyond the rule of thumb. It's always a good place to start.
Red-tailed Hawk Light morph - adult at left.
Red-shouldered Hawk adult at right.
Both have dark patagials, however, the Red-shouldered Hawk's are cinnamon.
Notice "belly-band" on Red-tailed Hawk and cinnamon breast of adult Red-shouldered Hawk.
Red-shouldered Hawk adult. Checkerboard pattern on underside of wings and tail. Translucent crescent-shaped "windows" near wingtips
Red-tailed Hawk adult at left. Hovering.
Kestrels also hover, as do Rough-legged Hawks,
Northern Shrikes and White-tailed Kites.
Red-shouldered Hawk adult at right.
Red-tailed Hawk adult. Less common plumage variation, however dark patagials save the day.
Red-shouldered Hawk adult. Cinnamon patagials. Cinnamon head, breast and legs. Checkerboard pattern on underside of wings and strongly banded tail.
Red-tailed Hawk Light morph juvenile. Notice absence of red on tail. Also notice the dark patagials are always there.
Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile. Notice breast is barred rather than cinnamon colored.
Both left and right are adult Red-tailed Hawks. Juveniles look the same as adults when perched.
Notice the variability of the "belly-band".
Both left and right photos are adult Red-shouldered Hawks The rufous breast could easily lead one to confuse this with an adult Cooper's Hawk or an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk. However, the cinnamon head is unlike those others, and cinches the ID as Red-shouldered.
Notice the extensive white on the wing feathers when perched.
Two photos of Red-tailed Hawks, back view, left and middle, and back view Red-shouldered Hawk at right. Red-tails have a dark brown head and show white on their backs which often suggest a "V" shape. In contrast, the Red-shouldered has a cinnamon colored head and RED SHOULDERS when perched. There is much more white all over the back, increasingly dense towards the tail. The tail is also clearly banded, not solid in color.
VIDEO of Red-shouldered Hawk Calling
The video at right shows a Red-shouldered Hawk in a tree making
its characteristic call.
(Video taken by Don Laufer on Dec 31, 2018
If video will not play for you click YOUTUBE link below
YOUTUBE LINK
☰ MENU (click here) for Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC Field Marks ☰
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Only a few of our Winter raptors have mostly white or whitish looking heads visible whether the birds are perched or flying and when observed far away; (Adult Bald Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks, White-tailed Kites and perhaps Northern Shrikes (though the latter is more gray than white). Even so, at a large distance a white head can narrow your focus to those four. [footnote: From March into October we also have the Osprey with a mostly white head and an obvious wide dark band through its eye and extending back across the face, but by the end of October very very few Osprey are seen in Western Oregon]. Keep in mind too, that the Kites and Shrikes are much less frequently seen in our part of the valley in Winter than the very common Bald Eagle.
Of these four Winter species, only the Eagle is massively large. The head of the full adult is plain white, and so is its tail, and its body is deep brown (looks black) so adults are no problem to identify.
The next group of photographs are all immature Bald Eagles.
Immature Bald Eagles can be tricky to identify, and we see a lot of them in Winter.
The white head appears at 3rd and 4th year of age. Before that time, little if any white is seen on the head. Instead, random white feathers show up on body and wings as seen on the breast of the bird in the leftmost photo below.
Very often the armpits of the immature bird will be white. Also first year birds seem to have quite a symmetrical pattern of white on the underside of the wings. Both armpits and wing pattern are seen in the middle photo below.
For immatures, at a distance, the large size, the long wings and the slow labored wingbeat can help identify the bird as an Eagle. Be aware, however there is a small chance you are seeing an adult Golden Eagle which at a distance has all those same features
If you get a closer look at an immature, the Bald Eagle has a very long bill compared to any other of our Raptors. You can see this in the photo furthest to the right below. (This is also useful to sort out an adult Golden Eagle from an immature Bald Eagle)
Slow Motion VIDEO of American Bald Eagle Diving for Prey
I particularly enjoy the abrupt bank and straight-down dive 2:00 minutes
into the video
If video will not play for you click YOUTUBE link below
YOUTUBE LINK
The "White-headed" Raptors are few really, but some are included here
because at some distance they could be confusing at first; (for example,
I have known birders to mistakenly identify a distant Rough-legged Hawk
on the ground as a Bald Eagle). Most of the Raptors in this group, when perched,
don't have much in common visually with other Raptors,
so grouping them this way seems reasonable.
This group: Bald Eagle; Rough-legged Hawk; White-tailed Kite and Northern Shrike
☰ MENU (CLICK HERE) More White-headed Raptors ☰
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Females at left and middle. Male at far right. All forms have an "Owl-ish" face.
The white rump patch is very conspicuous, and is DIAGNOSTIC for this species;
though slightly less obvious on light males.
Since these birds fly very low over fields in search of primarily Meadow Voles,
and they bank-turn abruptly frequently, the white rump patch is quickly and easily seen.
NOTE: While the Rough-legged Hawk may appear to have a white rump patch, what is actually being seen is a large expanse of white on the tail. This begins at the very base of the tail, which is adjacent to the rump, and extends either to the tip of the tail or up to a dark terminal band near the tip of the tail. (The terminal band varies with the sex and age of the bird, being most pronounced in the adult male).
- Juveniles, as shown at left have a cinnamon breast. (If one is close enough, some streaking can be seen on the breast). The female (middle photo) and juveniles have brown upper parts and brown heads.
- A male is shown at far right. It is so different from females/juveniles as to look like an entirely different species! Note black wing tips on male - visible from above or below.
- All forms have an "Owl-ish" face.
Juvenile at left - note cinnamon breast. Two photos of a male at right. Notice the dark gray head. Be aware that the degree of lightness of the male can vary considerably.
Two VIDEOS of Northern Harriers in flight, hunting ...
YOUTUBE link
YOUTUBE LINK
YOUTUBE link
(Switches to a male Harrier at 3 min 15 seconds)
☰ Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC Field Marks ☰
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The Rough-legged Hawk is also quite large so when it is perched and seen from some distance it can resemble an adult Bald Eagle. But in flight it looks nothing like a Bald Eagle because its wings are predominantly white when viewed from the underside. In addition, its white head is garnished with dark (chocolate brown) streaks. In addition both the white and the streaking extend down to mid-breast; much further down than the white of a Bald Eagle's head. So if seen closer than say, 1000 feet), this extension of the white down to mid-breast is easy to see.
The three photos below were chosen because they illustrate very useful details. (These are the light morph, which is by far more common than the dark morph)
- The photo at left shows a critical field mark: the white on the tail extending from the very base of the tail to either the tip or to the dark terminal band. This is present both on the top AND underside of the tail. (The terminal band varies in width and darkness with the sex and age of the bird, with the darkest and widest terminal band being on the adult male.)
- The middle photos shows the white underwings with dark rectangular carpal (wrist) patches. These are DIAGNOSTIC features of the light morph Rough-legged Hawk
- The photos at right shows the bird hovering. This is perhaps our largest of the Raptors which routinely hovers. It also "kites" (holds wings still and allows the wind to hold it in place). The wings on this bird were actively flapping when I photographed it.
It is not common to see a Rough-legged Hawk as close as we were to this one - seen Nov 29, 2018, BOGS Raptor Run, in small town of Shedd, Linn County. Notice the white (cream color) extends well down the breast, unlike a Bald Eagle. Also notice the whitish head and upper breast are dramatically streaked.
The photo at right illustrates what you are more likely to see off in the distance in a field. The streaking is almost imperceptible but the white extending down to mid-breast is still quite obvious.
The following two photos also show what a Rough-legged Hawk looks like at some distance.
DARK MORPH ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK. You are not likely to encounter one of these, so you can skip this short section if you don't want to get overwhelmed with information you may not need for a long time, but I've seen a few of these in the last six years, all of them at Finley Wildlife Refuge.
The bird at left was seen at all angles while flying and is all black except the DIAGNOSTIC extensive white from base of tail to the dark terminal band. (while the light morph has this white tail-base on both top and bottom, the dark morph only has it on the underside of the tail). In the photo at below at left the white under-tail was the only way we were able to ID this bird.
VIDEO of Rough-legged Hawk in flight and hovering ...
YOUTUBE link
YOUTUBE LINK
☰ MENU (CLICK HERE) More White-headed Raptors ☰
☰ Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC Field Marks ☰
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Short-eared Owls Winter regularly in only a few known Southern Willamette Valley locations; Finley Wildlife Refuge, Diamond Hill Wetlands and Fern Ridge Reservoir being the most reliable places to find them. Others are seen sporadically here and there for one day or two, mostly in Linn County.
Short-eared Owls are rather nomadic, roaming different fields early in the Winter and gradually through the Winter, seeming to congregate at fields with an abundance of Meadow Voles, which is their primary prey. By February, the best fields for them will sometimes have quite a number of them. Further north in Linn County in the Winter of 2013-14(?) 25 of them were seen for a few days and numbers in the teens remained through most of March. At Diamond Hill Wetlands, there have been 8 to 13 seen on some occasions in recent Winters.
Northern Harriers (and White-tailed Kites) also feed on Meadow Voles so a good clue for finding Short-eared Owls is a field with lots of Northern Harriers feeding during the daytime. If the Owls are there, they will come out towards the end of the day and sometimes drive the Harriers away. They will also vocalize at each other,when they get close to one another, making a short "bark-like" sound; sort of like a scratchy "beck". We think this might be a territorial behavior.
There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason to when one might find Short-eareds flying around in bright sunlight or at any time of day, but it happens pretty often, and in my limited experience of 5 years watching for them, this seems to happen more often in February and March.
If seen flying, they can be recognized by their flat face. From the side they seem
almost headless. Their wings are long and very wide, and their wingbeats extend
far down below their body and also to a very steep dihedral on the upbeat.
I have a webpage with photos demonstrating this on this website, at
Short-eared Owl flight profiles
Three VIDEOs of Short-eared Owls flying
YOUTUBE link
(From the 1 min 50 sec point to the end, the Owl is much closer to the camera)
YOUTUBE link
(EXTRAORDINARY~ Slow motion and close-up!)
YOUTUBE link
Skirmish: American Kestrel "dive-bombing" a Short-eared Owl in flight
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Two photos of an adult Peregrine Falcon are shown here to illustrate
the long and very wide sideburns of this species.
Also to notice are the dark gray back and quite light breast and belly.
The adults pictured here show only very fine barring on the breast.
Juvenile Peregrines have conspicuous dark streaks (vertical)
Three Peregrine Falcon photos. All show the prominent wide dark "sideburns". At left and middle, adults. At right, juvenile. Compare the fine barring of the adults with the extensive dark streaking (vertical markings) of the breast in the juvenile.
At left, a juvenile Peregrine Falcon, perched. Notice very dark and dense streaking over entire breast. (A Merlin has very similar streaking in both juvenile and adult plumages). In the Peregrine Falcon, it might take two or three years for this streaking to be replaced by the less prominent BARRED breast of the adult.
Middle photo, an adult Peregrine Falcon in flight. The wide and long "sideburns" or "mustache" are very prominent.
Photo at right, a Peregrine Falcon as seen at quite some distance - perhaps 300 yds away. Even at this distance, the wide dark "sideburns" are quite visible.
☰ MENU (click here) for Raptors with "Mustaches" ☰
☰ Raptors with DIAGNOSTIC Field Marks ☰
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The Northern Shrike pops up here and there through the Winter in fairly open country. It favors blackberry and other low thickets, often perching near the top watching for prey. It is a very shy bird, often flying out of sight quickly after a birder comes within a few hundred feet.
Both the White-tailed Kite and the Northern Shrike are similar in size and both have black shoulder patches when perched. The black patch is right on the shoulders of the white-tailed kite, but is halfway down the body of the Northern shrike. If one of these birds is seen perched at a great distance, you can sometimes see these dark patches. Their location on the body can help to sort one from the other at such times.
At even greater distances, where they appear very small, they both seem to be pale-white lumps which stand out from the surroundings. This feature alone eliminates all the other raptors except these two.
In flight the Kite's wings are mostly white with small black carpal patches while the Shrike's wings are nearly the reverse, being mostly black with white elbow or shoulder patches.
The head of the Northern Shrike is more gray than white but from a distance that might be too subtle to notice. (As can be seen in the photos below, the juvenile Shrike's head and body are more of a light brown color, with very faint barring only visible at close range. In any case, there's very little chance of confusing it with a Bald Eagle or White-tailed Kite).
☰ MENU (CLICK HERE) More White-headed Raptors ☰
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The only places I have seen the White-tailed Kite reported in our area in recent years are Fern Ridge Reservoir and Finley Wildlife Refuge. It is our only other Raptor with as white a head as the Bald Eagle. While it does indeed have a bright white head, its similarity to the Bald Eagle stops right about there because unlike the Eagle, its entire breast is an unmarked expanse of white. Also, from the back the Kite looks mostly gray, not solid black like a Bald Eagle. And finally, the Kite is much, much smaller than the Bald Eagle.
Our Kite has black shoulder patches which can be seen whether the bird it perched, or flying. In fact its name used to be "Black-shouldered Kite" until the AOU changed it.
White-tailed Kites do a lot of hovering when hunting, much like the Rough-legged Hawk, which also has a white head. The Kite is much smaller however. I took the photo at left on Starlight Lane west of Alvadore (Nov. 2014). The other two photos I took on a BOGS bird walk at the East Coyote Unit of Fern Ridge Reservoir (Sept. 2013).
The following two photos show a White-tailed Kite in the distance, just as they are usually seen at the north prairie overlook at Finley Wildlife Refuge.
A SUPERB VIDEO of White-tailed Kite flying and hovering
YOUTUBE link
YOUTUBE LINK
☰ MENU (CLICK HERE) More White-headed Raptors ☰
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Sharp-shinned Hawks are notoriously difficult to identify because they so closely
resemble Cooper's Hawks and are found in similar habitats, - edges and interiors
of woodlands for Sharpies and Woodland edges and adjacent open areas for Cooper's.
If enough detail is seen these two can be separated from each other.
- Adults differ in the darkness of the nape (back of neck).
Sharp-shinned Hawks have a very dark crown which merges with the nape and back, all being the same dark gray color. Cooper's Hawks (adults) have a lighter colored nape, leaving the dark top of the head looking like a cap or dark crown patch. - Sharp-shinned Hawk males (about the size of a Scrub Jay) - are much smaller than Cooper's Hawk males, (crow-sized). However the females of both species are nearly twice as large so a female Sharpie can be about the same size as a male Cooper's.
- In flight, the Cooper's Hawk wingbeats are slow and steady.
Sharp-shinned Hawks wingbeats are quick and erratic. Both species alternate a few wingbeats with short glides. - The legs of the Sharp-shinned Hawk are very thin compared to the stocky legs of a Cooper's Hawk.
The adult Sharp-shinned Hawks below both at left and right show the dark nape bridging the dark crown and dark back.
The three Sharp-shinned Hawk photos below (adult at left) illustrate the "classic" Sharp-shinned soaring flight profile. The shoulders look hunched forward. The head is small and does not project much beyond the front edge of the shoulders. At a great height they may appear almost "headless". (Be aware that if a Cooper's Hawk is in a slight dive to cover ground quickly, it's shoulders too will look hunched, though the head should look noticeably larger).
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- Notice the nape of the adult Cooper's Hawk at left below is not dark. The lighter colored nape interupts the continuity of the dark feathers one would see on an adult Sharp-shinned.
- In flight, (photo on far right) the head is large and projects well beyong the leading edge of the wings.
- Also, the photo at far right is a juvenile, indicated by the absence of a rufous breast and streaking which does NOT extend all the way down the belly, as it would in a juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk.
VIDEO: Cooper's Hawk flapping and soaring
YOUTUBE link
YOUTUBE LINK
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The Prairie Falcon has sideburns but they are not nearly as conspicuous
as those of the Kestrel or Peregrine.
Notice that the overall coloration of the Prairie Falcon
is lighter in tone then Peregrines or Kestrels. It is also much lighter
than the Merlin, a falcon of similar size and shape
but even more shy. (Merlins show up in Lane and Linn County a few times
each month of Winter and some are even seen in residential areas).
The Prairie Falcon is very uncommon in the valley yet nearly every month of Winter, one shows up somewhere in Lane or Linn county. The one above at right, sitting on the ground, was photographed at Finley Wildlife Refuge
The Adult Prairie Falcon is shown at left. Notice the clean white breast with sharp dark brown spots. The immature's breast is heavily streaked (vertical markings).
Prairie Falcon in flight
Notice the dark area under the wing
begins at the armpits and extends
only to the wrists (carpal joints)
Questions about BOGS? EMAIL: priscilla@blog.priscillanhk.com
Generally if you want to know what is happening next at BOGS, or want to see the latest photos/reports,
you can find these on the HOME page:
http://priscillanhk.com/index.html
Enjoy!
Priscilla