ML246076871

Age

Not specified

Sex

Not specified

Observation details

Upon returning to the parking lot around 0815, I noticed a dark buteo perched on a dead cottonwood limb near the lower boundary of the heavy metals hazard area. Began photographing and gradually approached to a lower and closer vantage outside of the barrier area, until my presence probably spooked it into flight. It made a couple of brief landings on rocks on the S side of the canyon, until it finally settled on a rock prominence below the top of the ridge. Returned to the car and observed via scope 65x until it flew off at 0855, after most of the nearby roosting Turkey Vultures had launched and departed the local thermals. At 0900, I saw it soaring at ridge height. In soaring flight the profile was closer to a vulture than the broad-winged profile of a Common Black Hawk. The tail did not have the patterning of an adult Zone-tailed from below. No buffy primary patches in flight like a juvenile Common Black Hawk. Perch views were primarily from the back. Dark brown overall with some blackish patches and a few small white spots on back and nape, primaries in most positions were as long or slightly longer than the tail. The tertiaries were much shorter than the primaries. Leg/feet yellow and not especially long legged in appearance. Head was dark brown overall without face patterning. Bill was yellowish cream with black tip. Bill transitioned into white on forehead. Thin yellow gape. Iris brown. Thin whitish orbital ring. Tail patterning was mixed. While perched, there was central grouping of feathers with clean wide dark gray terminal band and at least two light gray and another dark gray band above the terminal band. The outer tail feathers were more finely patterned with large tan and thin dark brown bands, apparent in flight and approaching a landing. These outer tail feather differences were more apparent as it landed after its first flight. In flight the underside of the wings were much lighter than the upper wing surface. Some underwing feathers were showing the beginning of a broad dark terminal band. My overall impression is that this is a juvenile Zone-tailed transitioning into an adult.

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

Lens

EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM

ISO

400

Focal length

400 mm

Flash

Flash did not fire, auto

f-stop

f/5.6

Shutter speed

21052/21051999 sec

Dimensions

912 pixels x 608 pixels

Original file size

262.3 KB