Interesting Red-tailed Hawk, W of Saunder's Pond, Owens Valley

Observers: J. Zatorski
Email: jerryzat@verizonmail.com
Verification: sierra
Remote Name: 65.244.205.238
Date: 10/24/2006
Time: 06:36 PM -0400

Sighting

Bird spotted in a Cottonwood Tree about 1/4 mile west of the Saunder's Pond area. It then took flight. The dark leading edge on the wings eliminated Ferruginous or Rough-legged Hawks. However, the head was streaked brown & white, not the nice chocolate-brown hood usually seen on Red-tails. The whole underside was white not creamy, with the brown leading edge of the wing, the ends of the primaries were brown, brown markings at the carples and a spotty vest on the body at best. The wings did show good squarish windows at the base of the primaries. The tail was creamy white not reddish as in a typical Red-tail, no easily seen baring as would be expected in a juvinal Red-tail, with a white line at the very end of the tail. When the bird was perched the folded wings and back were a nice brown with white markings, not creamy or buffy. From what I've read about Red-tailed Hawk and its subspecies, this might be a Krider's(?), but I don't have any experience with this subspecies and really would not steak my paycheck on it.