I drove out to the address to see the purported ferruginous hawks on Wednesday. I arrived at 1:30 and did not find any hawks, at the house or by driving around the section. I did find the nest, in the largest tree at the back of the property.
I talked to the owners on the phone. They are not birders, but they are quite familiar with red-tailed hawks and claim that these are much larger, have white breasts and white tails. They have nested in that tree for two years. Last year they produced 3 young, this year they do not seem to have a brood but keep returning to the nest. Last year the owners had chicks in a playpen in the yard, and the largest of the hawks (it would have been the female, but she thought it was the male) was standing by the playpen pulling chicks out through the holes. She said the bird was practically 3 feet tall (which I take to mean it could stretch to that height). This year, they said that a pair of red-tails arrived before the "big hawks" and tried to take over the nest. The big hawks arrived a few weeks later and drove the redtails away. The combination of white breasts and tails, size, and out-competing the redtails for the nest seems to make ferruginous hawk plausible. I explained to them the key marks distinguishing ferruginous and redtail, and they said they would look for them, and try to take pictures and send them to me. They said the hawks are around more in the evening than in the middle of the day (when I was there), and that they seem to go to the west when they leave. I will see what they send me, and decide whether to go again. I would still encourage anyone who can to take a look. It would be an important record to confirm if it is true. --- Please contribute your sightings to our list; it is only as good as members make it! --- Birding channel recommendation for FRS/GMRS radio use: Primary selection; channel 5/0 , alternate selection; channel 6/0 --- This mailing list is sponsored by the Iowa Ornithologists' Union. Membership available on-line at http://www.iowabirds.org/iou/PayDues.aspx. ----- You are currently subscribed to ia-bird as: [email protected]
