Neither more nor less

I found this added piece of info and I am posting it because people asked me how come there is no actual red tail. The general answer by bird afficiandos in the park was the age of the hawk but this was also interesting....It is important to question information and look for answers...I copied this and also list the website where I found this...


The "Harlan's Hawk" was once considered a separate species. It breeds in Alaska and northwestern Canada, and winters on the southern Great Plains. This very dark form has a marbled white, brown, and gray tail instead of a red one. Many individuals intermediate between Harlan's and more typical Red-tailed Hawks can be found.

http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Red-tailed_Hawk.html
 

This bird will likely have its signature red tail , varying in degree of redness from idividual to individual , some time late next summer or early fall. this is the typical routine for Buteo jamaicensis borealis which is what this bird is .

It is true that there is great variability of appearence in this species and each major cluster of traits are signified by the subspecies name following the binomial nomenclature ( genus and species) specifically here subspecies "borealis".The Harlans Hawk is subspecies "harlani" .

Even in a given subspecies there is notable variation : note the relative paleness of Pale Male compared to the darker beak and plumage of this young Red Tailed hawk .

These birds also change over-all appearance on achieving maturity .
 

WOW!!! What a Composition !!!



Well done, you really should be working on book!!!