Short-tailed Hawk question

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Posted by Jody Hildreth on 14:17:06 02/25/08

Hello All,

I am a birder from New York who just returned to my snow covered lawn yesterday. I spent a full day in the Everglades on Thursday, February 21. Wow! I saw the baby Great-horned Owl and Barred Owl, but my target bird was the Short-tailed Hawk. I went to Royal Palms like others had told me and waited for the vultures to rise on the thermals. As they did, I saw a hawk in the far distance. To me, it looked like a light phase Short-tailed Hawk, but everything I have read said they are rare - and I had in my head that I would see the dark phase. I took VERY distant photos and posted them below. I am looking for opinions (photos 1 & 2). Unfortunately, the bird kept flying away from me. A dark-morph did get a little closer (the third picture). On my way back to Sarasota, I had a great view of another over the Shark Valley parking lot (last three photos).

Photos
http://www.kidwings.com/birdphotos/shorttailedhawk/index.html

Any opinions on the light phase bird? Is it a short-tailed?

Jody Hildreth
Waterville, NY
Webmaster: www.kidwings.com

Follow Ups:

• Re: Short-tailed Hawk question - Bill Pranty 14:47:59 02/25/08 (4)
  • Re: Short-tailed Hawk question - Jody Hildreth 21:30:23 02/25/08 (0)
  • Bill: Short-tailed Hawk question - Paul-the-other 16:20:13 02/25/08 (2)
    • Re: Bill: Short-tailed Hawk question - Felipe G. 18:09:00 02/25/08 (0)
    • Re: Bill: Short-tailed Hawk question - Bill Pranty 17:32:45 02/25/08 (0)

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