JUVENILE RED-TAILED HAWK, HILLMAN MARSH CONSERVATION AREA, LEAMINGTON, ON

   These photos were taken on 3/29/2016 on a road near Hillman Marsh Conservation Area.  The lighting was not great and the photos were taken through the front glass window of the car.  By the time I got out of the car the hawk had flown away.  You can see in the photos, that it is starting to spread its wings in preparation for flight.

   We can ID this hawk as the light morph of a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk as follows:

• The hawk is stocky and broad.
• The hawk has a pale breast contrasting with a brown head and a streaked belly-band.
• There is a white speckled V on the back of the hawk.