Last time, I discussed the turkey vulture, a common North American raptor sometimes incorrectly referred to as a buzzard. Buzzard is actually the British name for hawks in the genus Buteo, what we refer to as broad-winged hawks.
The most common "buzzard" in our area is the red-tailed hawk. These birds do not get their name-sake field mark until they are in their second year. Immature red-tails, which we will be seeing more of now that this year's young are out of the nest, have barred brown tails. There are characteristics that can be used to recognize both adult and immature red-tails, however.
Red-tailed hawks often sit on telephone poles by the side of the highway. If the bird is facing you, look for a white chest with a dark band across the belly. In flight, look for a bird with broad, round-tipped wings and a dark line running along the leading edge of the wing.
Although red-tails are the common buteo most of the year, several other
species winter in the area, especially around Altamont Pass and Panoche
Valley. Rough-legged hawks have white tails with a dark band at the tip,
a dark swath of feathers across the belly, and white "windows"
out toward the end of their wings. Ferruginous hawks are very light underneath,
giving an impression of utter whiteness. Adult ferruginous hawks have reddish
feathers on their legs. For more information about raptor identification,
especially from the type of looks you are likely to have from the back of
a motorcycle, I recommend Hawks in Flight by Peter Dunne, David Sibley
& Clay Sutton.
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