Red Tailed Hawk? - PA (1 Viewer)

[volucris]

Back again with another hawk. Saw this guy swoop through my yard onto this perch for about a minute before grabbing some dinner.

I feel more confident about this one, but find it difficult to say with certainty.
Hoping someone can confirm.

 

[nartreb]

Almost certainly. Clean white "bib" on the chest, with a "cummerbund" of spots below that. A very unlikely combination in other Buteos in your range. (Sometimes an immature red-shouldered or an immature broad-wing can give a similar impression, but generally they'll fall a little short, e.g. have a little spotting on the center of the chest and a less-strong "cummerbund". )

 

[volucris]

Thank you @nartreb!
Wasn't sure if that was a cummerbund, or if it extended down completely which is why I was seeking help. I was very lucky to get the picture at all and wasn't able to take in any other details when it decided to feed, which was out of view. I only saw a smaller bird in its clutches when it came back across my window then out of sight.

Always exhilarating for me to see a raptor. The recent Cooper's Hawk that posed for me was fantastic, but this was my first time seeing one hunt.

 

[nartreb]

It's hard to see due to the leaves in the photo, but the lower belly below the "cummerbund", and the vent (near the tail) are unspotted on your bird. That's typical for red-tails, but their markings are highly variable, so it's not a completely reliable ID character. In this photo you can also see that the shape of the "cummerbund" is more like a vest (worn too low): short at the bird's centerline, taller on the sides. That's also normal for red-tails, though sometimes the belly band is so weak and sparse that it doesn't really have a shape at all, some birds are so dark you can't see any belly band, etc.

 

[volucris]

Well I'm convinced. Thanks for the great explanation.
My confidence is growing with each ID.