PHOTO GALLERY
RESPONDENT 1
This hawk looks plainly too long- and large-billed to be a Swainson's. I don't see anything in the breast pattern that is inconsistent with a Red-tail myself. Just one birder's opinion of one (partial) photo...
RESPONDENT 2: Thomas Riecke <riecket13 at yahoo.com>
...I'm a birder in NC Texas, where every buteo is a Red-tail until proven otherwise. I'm not familiar with South American raptors, but Swaison's hawk can definitely be eliminated. There are, as I am sure you know, hundreds of different plumages of juvenile Swainson's Hawk, none would exhibit a dark patagial mark that is broader than the trailing edge. The faintly speckled belly band, wing pattern, and face pattern are perfect for a juvenile Red-tailed. If it were seen in my neck of the woods I probably wouldn't even raise my binoculars, however, it was in Trinidad...
RESPONDENT 3
I think you're right to suspect SWHA, and this bird shows similar plumage features to a second-year of that species. My feeling is that it's an SY SWHA due to structure and the apparent patterns of the upperwing and underwing (what little we can see), particularly the dark primaries contrasting with the paler buff-fringed upperwing coverts. I'm away from my slides at the moment but this bird looks very much like many SY birds I've caught in spring in CO. The pale-naped look is typical of SY SWHA in late spring but I've seen very few of them at this time of year. This is a terrible picture though and I'm not 100%. I'd love to hear why this is a RTHA from others. The description of it having "orangey-red eyes" makes me nervous for any buteo!
RESPONDENT 4
...although I am anything BUT a hawk freak, the belly band, head pattern, head/bill proportions, and the (MOST conveniently
displayed!) patagial patch all appear perfect for RT. Even more to the point, the dark throat not only seems to eliminate any LIGHT
Swainson's, it is also perfect for Florida's umbrinus, which does wander to/through the West Indies.
RESPONDENT 5
Where I live, Red-tails are abundant in winter, Swainson's are abundant in summer. This bird clearly looks like a Red-tailed Hawk to me, for the reasons given by the other two commentators. The speckeled belly band seems fairly diagnostic to me. Swainson's shows a different pattern. The head and bill seem way too strong for Swainson's.
RESPONDENT 6
Reasons for thinking this might be a Swainson's may be due to artifacts of the lighting.
RESPONDENT 7
The bird to me looks like a RTHA. The chest band is usually neater in a Swainson's contrasting with a white chin, which I think we should see despite the bird's position. If it's an imm SWHA, then there should be no dark chest. The scattered streaks on the belly is so typical of RTHA and, per my recollections, rather atypical for SWHA - but I could be wrong there. Also, I'd have thought the observer would've noticed that the underwing coverts were paler than the remiges. A more uniform underwing argues for RTHA. Most RTHA probably would have some white visible in the photo on the wing, but the angle shows so little of the wing/scaps that it would be quite conceiveable for the upperwing to appear plain.
I'm always a bit leary of ID'ing a bird from a single photo and an incomplete description, especially in a group that I don't consider myself particularly adept at. But I'd bet on RTHA.
RESPONDENT 8
...from what I can see, I would try RTHA. See what you can find out about Mexican and other Latin American varieties. But I don't see enough of the bird to speak with any confidence.
RESPONDENT 9
Nothing about this bird makes me think it is not a Red-tailed Hawk, particularly with the patagial mark described ("dark leading edge") on the website. The belly band is rather sparse, but seems consistent with eastern Red-tails. Head and beak shape seem good. I would thus concur with the original identification.
RESPONDENT 2: Thomas Riecke <riecket13@yahoo.com>
I have already posted my thoughts on the bird, but in response to the Swainson's opinion, I think that the primaries are merely dark on top, which is consistent with juvenal red-tail, the field notes that were taken at the time clearly state that the patagial markings were wider than the trailing edge, this is absolutely perfect for a juvenal Red-tail, their wing pattern is best described as white with minimal brown mottling and a brown border, thicker on the leading edge of the wing then on the back.
RESPONDENT 10
I think it looks OK for Red-tailed, but since I'm not very familiar with other similar Central or South American Buteos or hybrid possibilities I will defer to William Clark and Brian Wheeler, both of whom I've CC'd on this message.
RESPONDENT 11
Swainson's, I think. Poor photo. Not RT
RESPONDENT 12
Juv SWHA...heart-shaped spotting on body, dark eyes, head/bill shape, bold pale feather edgings to upperwing coverts. Dark warm, brown upperside. A juv RT would be whiter on body and paler on back this time of year. Nothing fits for adult RT....I don't see any RT traits at all....what are others saying about the bird? Sorry for not getting back sooner, my job is long hours and I don't check e-mail often.
RESPONDENT 4 (again)
[in response to private discussion of Broad-winged Hawk] Another feature I just noticed is that the gape line in the Trinidad
bird reaches almost past the eye: appropriate for RTH but wrong for BW. [editor's note: after further review of photos, there appears to be no difference between these species]
RESPONDENT 13: Alvaro Jaramillo <chucao at coastside.net>
The fact that one can't see the entire body may be causing an incorrect assessment of its identification. What bothers me most for Red-tailed as an identification is how tiny the bill looks and how thin the legs look, these characters suggest a small hawk. Now I am not familiar with the sizes of the Caribbean populations of jamaicensis, so perhaps this is ok although I doubt it. Compared to a North American Red-tailed, this bird's structure does not look right. On the other hand I can say categorically, from looking at
hundreds to thousands in Argentina, that this is not a young Swainson's Hawk. The face pattern, pattern of dark streaking and so forth do not match that species. I am quite certain that this hawk is a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk. First of all, the dark eyes and yellow cere are good for any age of Broad-winged and would only fit an adult Red-tailed Hawk as juveniles have yellow eyes and dull cere. Looking at the few edges you can see on the wing coverts, it is clear that these are evenly aged and crisply fringed
which also tells me that this is a juvenile, not an adult. Juvenile Broad-winged Hawks are quite variable in their underpart pattern, some are very well marked and dark, others nearly unmarked with only a narrow band of streaks on the lower breast as this bird has. Face pattern is fine for Broad-winged, with an indistinct paler supercilium, and there is a nice darker patch on the breast sides, although it is difficult to decipher this pattern due to the way the hawk is turned. In summary, structural, plumage and eye/cere features are all fine for juvenile Broad-winged Hawk, but are inconsistent with a Red-tailed Hawk ID. Fortunately, Broad-winged also makes the most sense from a geographic point of view.
RESPONDENT 13: Alvaro Jaramillo <chucao at coastside.net>
Those skinny legs and tiny feet seal it for me, not a Red-tailed, I am quite certain that it is a Broad-wing.
RESPONDENT 13: Alvaro Jaramillo <chucao at coastside.net>
The few coverts that are visible are clearly fresh juvenile coverts, with fine little pale tips and all even age. A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk with dark eyes makes no sense, neither does the structure. I think the belly band is what is misleading everyone here. If you had a good photo of the entire bird and a more normal pose (not looking down like it is), the fact that it isn't a Red-tailed Hawk would be clear. I have no idea if the gape length is reliable at all, and at this angle you may be getting an illusion of where it actually ends.
RESPONDENT 14
My vote goes to Red-tailed Hawk.
RESPONDENT 15: Brian Wheeler <bkwheeler at compuserve.com>
This is a tough one and wished you had more photos. Based on the head, with the pale base of the bill and bill shape, I would vote for Red-tailed Hawk. Age? Juveniles rarely have yellow ceres (almost never) and adults would have thin barring on the flanks (and the umbrinus race to the north are quite rufous on adults with barred legs). The iris color you mention of being red does not correlate with any buteo and does not show on the printed page. If the bird did have a dark front edge of the wing when viewed in flight, then no doubt a redtail.
Broadwing could be a possibility but I do not see a center dark throat streak that all light juvenile broadwings have. Short-tailed
Hawk hit me but they do not have any underwing markings (and I can see spotting on the wrist area). The pale auriculars and large dark malar mark reminds me of a shorttail but their bill is mainly dark to the cere (and throats are always all-white). I do not get a feel for a Swainson's Hawk.
RESPONDENT 15: Brian Wheeler <bkwheeler at compuserve.com>
I am not 100% sure of the ID and would not stake a record on this photo alone.
RESPONDENT 16: Bill Clark <raptours at earthlink.net>
I have spent some time looking at the rather poor photo of the mystery buzzard from Trinidad, my photos of various species, and comments of other guessers. It is most likely an immature of some species.
I am fairly certain that it is not a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk. The dark eyes, dark cheeks and throat, white cheek patch, and long thin legs argue against that species. But, as I can't see the necessary field marks of wing/tail tip positions, upperparts, feet, and underwings, I can't say with any certainty what it was. My best guess is an immature Swainson's Hawk, but with not any certainty.
I do not interpret the dark leading edge of the wing as a dark patagial mark. As the wing shape is also an important field mark, the observer should have been able to tell us whether the wingtips were pointed or rounded.
I agree with Brian that this photo is not sufficient to base a record on.
