Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!njin!princeton!siemens!tjo From: tjo@edsel.siemens.com (Tom Ostrand) Newsgroups: rec.birds Subject: Re: Can you identify this mystery raptor? Message-ID: Date: 9 Jun 89 17:14:19 GMT References: <2795@helios.ee.lbl.gov> <2710@nmtsun.nmt.edu> Sender: news@siemens.siemens.com Distribution: usa Organization: Siemens Research and Technology Laboratories Lines: 29 In-reply-to: john@nmtsun.nmt.edu's message of 8 Jun 89 19:55:50 GMT > features. The shape suggested a falcon: sleek wings, > strong wingbeats, and occasional steep dives. Two > individuals spent the next 20 minutes overhead; the > call was a short ascending squawk, perhaps 10/min. > > The only field mark I would swear to were white > 'elbow' patches, both on the bottom and tops of the > wings. I can't swear to a white throat patch. I would suggest a NIGHTHAWK. Everything you describe supports this, especially the white elbow patches. Do you remember the bird's size? Nighthawks overhead seem to be somewhere between jays sand crows. The steep dives could be male courtship displaying. Tom Ostrand (tostrand@cadillac.siemens.com) Siemens Research Laboratories 755 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540 (609)-734-6569 -- Tom Ostrand (tostrand@cadillac.siemens.com) Siemens Research Laboratories 755 College Road East Princeton, NJ 08540 (609)-734-6569