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Sometimes we also refer to them as “pantaloons” (another gift from Elephant’s Child)\u00a0but technically they’re called the “crural feathers” and they cover the tibial portion of the leg and are continuous with those of the abdomen.\u00a0Typically that portion of the leg is held so tightly against the\u00a0body that the crural feathers are largely indistinguishable from those of the lower abdomen but in certain poses like this one they really stand out. I think they look great and in some raptor species they extend all the way to the foot.<\/p>\n But don’t\u00a0expect me to call them crural feathers very\u00a0often. For me (and I suspect for\u00a0many of my readers) they’ll always primarily be britches or pantaloons. It just works…<\/p>\n Thanks for that, EC!<\/p>\n Ron<\/p>\n PS – For those who like to know such things (as I do) this bird is one of the three recent\u00a0fledglings from what I call the cliff nest that I’ve been following much of the summer. The photo was taken on 7\/4\/17 and if I remember correctly it was taking off to go do another “pipe dance<\/a>“.<\/em><\/p>\n PSS – Some readers may be relatively unfamiliar with Elephant’s Child even though she comments here\u00a0reliably.\u00a0EC is\u00a0from Australia (or Oz as she calls it)\u00a0and I believe her 6 AM (when she\u00a0typically comments) is my 2 PM here on Mountain Standard time. So she’s usually one of the last to comment.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Hawk “britches” has become a term of endearment here on Feathered Photography.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/featheredphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/08\/red-tailed-hawk-1312-ron-dudley.jpg\" "\\"red-tailed-hawk-1312-ron-dudley\\"")
1\/2500, f\/7.1, ISO 320, Canon 7D, Canon EF 100-400mm f\/4.5-5.6L IS II USM @ 220mm, not baited, set up or called in<\/em><\/p>\n