Ferruginous Hawk (Buteo regalis) Juvenile photos by Larry Jordan
Our first Christmas Bird Count will be coming up on December 14th in Fall River Mills so I thought I would take a drive up there to see what I could see as the day approaches. Rat Farm Road is a long gravel road leading from the small town of McArthur, through some sage/prairie habitat to Horr Pond and Big Lake. An excellent location to spot raptors.
I wasn’t disappointed. Besides the ever present Red-tailed Hawks, there were Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin and, my favorite, the Ferruginous Hawk. There is a long barbed wire fence that follows Rat Farm Road to its conclusion at the boat launch parking area with plenty of old wooden posts where raptors love to perch and look for prey. That’s where I spotted this juvenile hawk. Click on photos for full sized images.
I love these juvenile raptors because they are usually not concerned too much with slowly approaching vehicles. They seem somehow not to have yet learned that humans can be dangerous.
How do I know this is a juvenile Ferruginous Hawk? This light morph juvenile still has brown tipped feathers on its thighs rather than the distinctive rufous thighs and has yet to develop the rufous shoulders of the adult.
I took several photographs of this beauty as it flew off to hunt, sometimes flying up and kiting to come down on the prey…
then returning back to the perch, flying low to the ground.
Ferruginous Hawks prey primarily on jackrabbits and cottontail rabbits as well as ground squirrels and prairie dogs. You may often find them standing in an open field near a fresh dirt mound waiting for a ground squirrel to push soil close to the surface when it will pounce on the earthen heap and pull out its prey.
This youngster didn’t find what it was looking for and flew back up to the same post and gave me the raptor stare.
To see more cool bird photos check out Wild Bird Wednesday and The Bird D’pot.
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Absolutely gorgeous!!! How apropos to have it spotted on “RAT” Road. I thought that was something else. LOL Then, I read their diet and rat is not even mentioned. Hmmmm.
I’ve only seen these in my bird guides so far, would love to see this stately one someday in real time!!!! Excellent captures
Wow! Great photos of a magnificent bird!
Wow. This is a beautiful raptor and you took amazing images of him. Congrats!
Larry, what an incredibly gorgeous hawk — and your photos are beyond stellar. I had no idea that they could prey on jackrabbits. Can they lift them and fly with them or do they prey on them strictly on the ground? When I read that, a jackrabbit seemed so large for a hawk of this size. And then I realized — hey, I don’t really know what size they are. All About Birds says 22 to 27 inches — bigger than a Red-tail. And jackrabbits weigh between 3-6 pounds. I believe Bald Eagles can lift 4-6 pounds.
Last question: do you know what it’s called “Rat Farm” Road? 😉
p.s. I meant to write “do you know WHY it’s called Rat Farm Road”
What a beautiful Hawk, really lovely shares of this beauty~
Superb photographs, Larry! Even this youngster lives up to the name “regalis”!
I’ve started scouting for the CBC, also. Hope I make as nice a find as you!