Red-tailed or Swainson's Hawk - Yakima WA USA (1 Viewer)

[BodyResults]

I'm leaning toward a dark Swainson's due to no dark leading edge of the underside of the wing and the light barred undertail coverts. Taken yesterday.

What do you think?

Thanks
Doug

 

[avesjohn]

I'd agree on dark juvenile Swainson's Hawk, for the same reasons you stated.

 

[JANJ]

What a great bird!

I would agree to dark Swainson's.

http://neovistabirding.blogspot.se/2014/07/a-range-of-swainsons-hawk-images.html

JanJ

 

[RJP]

I agree, and a great pic of a very cool bird.

 

[JANJ]

I forgot to mention Doug that your flickr pages are really great!

JanJ

 

[BodyResults]

Thanks everyone and thanks JanJ for the compliments on my photos.

Doug

 

[Tiraya]

No question for me that it is Swainson's. Nice. Still haven't seen dark morph myself, though I've recorded 113 individuals according to my ebird so that day should come eventually.

 

[TLeukering]

All Red-tailed Hawks with pale (or palish) wing linings have obvious contrastingly dark patagial bars -- this is one of the very few absolutely diagnostic field characters in North American buteos.