![\"red-tailed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/red-tailed-hawk-8254-ron-dudley.jpg\")
1\/2500, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM +1.4 tc, not baited, set up or called in<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\nI photographed it two days ago at Farmington Bay WMA. While I was looking at it through my lens I was struck by its overall light color and especially the whites on the head and back. For an instant the white forehead and throat reminded me of many Swainson’s Hawks.<\/p>\n
A little research the next day\u00a0made me think it’s an\u00a0Eastern light morph Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis borealis<\/em>) but the Red-tailed Hawk is the most variably plumaged raptor species in North America and eastern birds are uncommon west of the Rockies (where I am\u00a0here in Salt\u00a0Lake City). Throw in the fact that I’m far from a raptor ID expert and I\u00a0certainly can’t make the claim that it’s an eastern\u00a0red-tail\u00a0absolutely. But as of now I’m thinking that it’s likely.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 1\/3200, f\/6.3, ISO 500, Canon 7D Mark II, Canon EF500mm f\/4L IS II USM, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n While perched the hawk never did turn and face me and when it took off it did so mostly away from me so this is the best look I got at the front of the bird. If anyone out there has an opinion on the\u00a0subspecies of this hawk I’d love to hear it, though I realize that knowing with absolute certainty may be impossible due to overlap in range and plumage.<\/p>\n Either way I thought it was a beautiful and striking\u00a0juvenile red-tail.<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I don’t believe I’ve ever photographed an Eastern Red-tailed Hawk before so this bird caught my attention.<\/p>\n![\"red-tailed](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/red-tailed-hawk-8301-ron-dudley.jpg\")
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