ML96381661

Age and sex

Juvenile Male - 1

Behaviors

Flying

Observation details

1st ABA record!! Very fresh-plumaged juvenile Great Black Hawk perched in trees on S side of Sheepshead, and soaring low over the area. Eventually drifting to N and out of view past the big watertower at 11:40am. Photographed extensively, and some video taken. Perched and soared around the Sheepshead area for 20 minutes or more. Incredible! Being mobbed by Laughing Gulls, Great-tailed Grackles, and even an adult Peregrine! Massive size; thin tail bands lacking thick black subterminal tail band; white uppertail coverts, and thin black markings on undersides all suggest Great Black Hawk over Common Black Hawk. Photographed extensively, and some video taken. This same individual was re-discovered 1,900 miles away in Biddleford Pool, Maine on August 8th, 2018 where it was seen for 2 days before going missing again. Later it was re-discovered in November at Deering Oaks Parks in Portland, Maine where it remained until January 20th and was then taken into rehab for frostbitten feet and legs. It was euthanized on January 31st, 2018. The mounted specimen was taken to the Maine State Museum. Confirmed as a male, and of the Northern subspecies when it grew in tail feathers with the distinctive two white and two black bands (versus one white and one black shown by the Southern ssp).

Technical information

Model

Canon EOS 7D

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

1/2000 sec

Dimensions

2955 pixels x 1969 pixels

Original file size

1.81 MB