Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!uunet!decwrl!csus.edu!ucdavis!csusac!unify!magpie!grp From: grp@unify.uucp (Greg Pasquariello) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: red tailed hawk - subspecies thereof Message-ID: Date: 15 Aug 90 16:13:26 GMT References: <1990Aug14.130118.20027@newcastle.ac.uk> Sender: news@Unify.Com (news admin) Reply-To: grp@unify.com Followup-To: rec.birds Organization: Unify Corporation, Sacramento, California Lines: 69 In-Reply-To: J.M.Spencer@newcastle.ac.uk's message of 14 Aug 90 13:01:18 GMT In article <1990Aug14.130118.20027@newcastle.ac.uk> J.M.Spencer@newcastle.ac.uk (J.M. Spencer) writes: > > I am researching the redtailed hawk _Buteo jamaicensis_. A number of works > from early this century have defined various subspecies of the redtail. > For example, in "A Study of _Buteo borealis_, the redtailed hawk, and its > varieties in Canada" (Museum Bulletin no. 48, Nov 1927, Canada Dept of > Mines) the following are identified:- > > _Buteo borealis borealis_ (Gmelin), Eastern Redtailed hawk > _Buteo borealis calurus_ (Cassin), Western redtailed hawk > _Buteo borealis krideri_ Hoopes, Krider's hawk > _Buteo borealis harlani_ (Audubon), Harlan's hawk > _Butoe borealis alascensis_ Grinell, Alaska redtailed hawk > > Arthur Bent ("Life Histories of North American Birds of Prey") also > identifies a similar number of subspecies. I have also seen people > refer to Harlan's hawks in rec.birds. > > My question is this, how many species of redtail are currently > recognised, and what are they called? My interest is that I am > a falconer flying a redtail whose parents were imported from > Canada and looks like one of Bent's Eastern redtails. Most other > redtails in the UK are larger, much darker (sooty), and have *much* > bigger feet. I believe them to be Western redtails. > > Any comments welcome. According to _A Complete Checklist of Birds of the World_, 1980, there are 14 recognized subspecies of the Red-tailed Hawk, Buteo jamaicensis: B. j. borealis: Eastern NA to N Mexico B. j. calurus: Western NA >> Central America B. j. harlani: Northern British Columbia, N Alberta >> S Central US B. j. alascensis: SE Alaska B. j. kriderii: SC Canada, NC US >> S USA B. j. fuertesi: SW USA, NW Mexico B. j. umbrinus: S Florida, Bahamas B. j. hadropus: N to SC Mexico B. j. soccoroensis: Soccoro Island B. j. fumosus: Tres Marias Island B. j. solitudinus: Cuba, Isle of Pines B. j. jamaicensis: Jamaica, Hispanola, Puerto Rico B. j. kiemsiesi: S Mexico to Nicaragua. B. j. costaricencis: Costa Rica, W Panama The '>>' denotes winter range if substantially different from breeding range. It is important to note that arbitrarily assigning a particular bird to a subspecies is somewhat difficult. Indeed, there is often contention as to what is recognized as a subspecies, and even disagreement about what belongs in the full species! For a while, B. j. harlani was know as Harlan's Hawk, a full species, recognized by it's dirty white tail. I believe B. j. kriderii was also a full species at one time, and is easily recognizable by it's whitish upperparts and pale red tail; it looks very similar to an immature Ferruginous Hawk (B. regalis - love that name). It sounds to me like your hunch is correct. The eastern bird is very fairly light, and cleanly patterned, while western red-tails are often dark, and even light phase birds are much more richly colored. Hope this helps. > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Sender : Jonathan M Spencer -- -Greg Pasquariello grp@unify.com