Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mailrus!purdue!bu-cs!dartvax!eleazar.dartmouth.edu!dragon
From: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: Re: Hawks in our backyard!
Message-ID: <17627@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Date: 3 Dec 89 14:18:06 GMT
References: <9693@cloud9.Stratus.COM>
Sender: news@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU
Reply-To: dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu (Sam Conway)
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
Lines: 19

In response to Michael (you forgot to post your e-mail address), a
"two-foot long hawk, brown on top and lighter on the bottom, weighing
about 10 pounds each" describes quite a lot of hawks!  If they are that
big, though, I would imagine them to be red-tailed hawks, which are 
quite common.  The two of them were probably a mated pair.
And get ready for a shock -- each weighs probably about 2-3 pounds!
What you are looking at is almost all feather.

Next time you see them, try to get a look at the tail:  for a red-tail,
it will be a cinnamon-red color with a narrow black band across the 
bottom (surprise surprise!).  The bird will also have a band of dark
spots across the belly.        


--
Sam Conway 
dragon@eleazar.dartmouth.edu                        Save the Humans!     
Chemistry Dept., Dartmouth College
Vermont Raptor Center, VINS