request raptor ID help please

[miriam1969]

Hi all ....

been a while since i've been here .... but now that migration has started again, i'm sure my eyes will be turned up ... especially after seeing this (on tuesday - mid-afternoon - cabbagetown area)

i was sitting on my couch & noticed all the pigeons (in the neighbouring park) circling .... usual whenever there's a hawk overhead (nearby resident red-tailed's) .... i looked out, expecting to see a red-tailed, but saw a different bird altogether .... much darker, with white at the base of the tail feathers, (& maybe also white at the tips of the wing feathers?), & also a coppery brown on top of the wings .... i would say that most of it's colouring was solid - i.e not dappled ... & i think it was a bit bigger than the red-tailed's i've seen . (though in my excitement i didn't take notice of it's head/beak shape)
it circled a few times, started flying south, then back to my little park(ette) then south-west 'til it disappeared behind buildings.
i've checked a few sites online - & i would say it most closely resembled a harris hawk ... until i realized that they're only in the southern US/mexico ..... so - the next closest option i think it could be is a juvenile golden eagle ....
any thoughts? is it possible that it could've been an eagle??

(quite excited at the thought ....) )

miriam

[GStuart]

Hi Miriam

Despite the fact that migration of hawks has started, I would be extremely surprised to hear of a golden eagle this early.  Typically, golden eagles will come through southern Ontario in late October and early November.  While bald eagles are on the move now, I would be equally surprised to see one in the city going after birds as they are fish and carrion eaters.

My suspicions, given your statements of "white at the base of the tail" and "coppery brown" would be a juvenile northern harrier.  Harriers have large and noticeable white rump patches.  They have long wings and tails and are comparable in size to a red-tail; a female harrier is larger than a male red-tail. The juvenile harrier has a coppery-cinnamon colouration that, while not as vivid as the Harris' hawk, can be quite bright.

Of course, if the bird you saw is much darker than that, it is always possible that a Harris' hawk got away from its handler - stranger things have happened.  I just don't think it would be a "naturally occuring" raptor in that case.

GS

[Julie]

re the eagle versus hawk in Cabbagetown debate: Back in the spring, someone reported seeing a Harris' hawk in Cabbagetown-- there were a number of sightings. Perhaps the same bird? The posts are somewhere down in the depths of the TO sightings board if you want to look.

Julie

[miriam1969]

hi

just a quick note to say thanks to GS & Julie for your replies ....
much appreciated .... though somewhat dissappointed to read it probably wasn't a golden .... i've had a look at pics of the juv northern harrier .... & (in my recollection) the bird i saw wasn't as variegated - i.e. the underside of the wings were solid, not striped ... but then, who knows ... could be that time is playing tricks with my memory

& i'll definitely search the site for the harris hawk posts.

thanks again!

miriam