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Red-tailed Hawks Update For Skywatch Friday

Red-tailed Hawk Chicks all photos by Larry Jordan

These Red-tailed Hawk chicks known as eyasses (pronounced eye-ess-ess) are now about six weeks old.  They should begin short training flights very soon.  You can see by this photo that they are fully feathered, with the youngest one having some down still on its head.

The Red-tailed Hawk is the most common buteo in North America.

Map courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The easiest way to identify the adult Red-tailed Hawk is to see the red or rufous tail as they turn while soaring.

From below you can identify even the juvenile Red-tailed Hawk by the dark patagial bar at the fore edge of the wing.  The red tail is the only hawk with this dark leading wing edge between its shoulder and wrist.

Enjoy the other great Skywatch Friday posts!

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Kyle June 18, 2009, 6:17 am

    Really nice shots of the red-tailed in flight, Larry! I hope you get to see the eyasses (learned a new word!) as they begin their flight lessons.

  • Eve June 18, 2009, 11:14 am

    Those chicks are adorable!
    Beautiful photos of the birds in flight!

  • SandyCarlson June 18, 2009, 1:25 pm

    What a beautiful family.

  • Maria June 18, 2009, 6:11 pm

    I love the first photo of the lil’ ones. The photos of the red tail’s wing span are gorgeous. The commentary is also interesting. Thank You
    A wonderful weekend to you ~Maria

  • gwendolen June 19, 2009, 9:07 am

    I’d love to see those flight lessons 🙂

  • Karen June 19, 2009, 3:27 pm

    Those birds look beautiful against that blue sky..

    Wonderful captures..
    .-= Karen´s last blog ..Skywatch Friday – Idlewild Lake =-.

  • chris June 20, 2009, 12:53 pm

    Hi Larry,
    Thanks for this very instructive post about the red-hawk. I did not know most of the info contained there, so now I do!! The pictures are just gorgeous too and I love tog et update about the youngs!!! Looks like they will fly away soon, for the pleasure of most bird watchers!
    .-= chris´s last blog ..Walk to Ulfarsá… =-.