Why do some raptors, like the Red-tailed Hawk, have more than one color morph? Jen Walsh, Irby Lovette and the Red-tailed Hawk Project’s Bryce Robinson outline what is currently known in a publication now out in the journal Ornithology titled ‘Plumage polymorphism in raptors’. The paper details the presence of the trait in each raptorContinue reading “Plumage polymorphism in raptors”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Bryce presents the project on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World Webinar
A few weeks ago, Bryce had the pleasure of presenting the project on the Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of the World Webinar. Take a look at how Bryce frames the work we are doing, and the updates he shares on what we’ve discovered so far!
A white Red-tailed Hawk from Oklahoma
Some incredible luck struck on a recent trip to Oklahoma (more on the trip soon!) that included some core project folks as well as a few keen Cornell University undergraduate students. While on the trail to trap harlani and intergrade types, Irby Lovette and undergrad Mei Rao came across a striking all white Red-tailed Hawk.Continue reading “A white Red-tailed Hawk from Oklahoma”
The Mississippi Miracle
One big component of the Red-tailed Hawk Project focuses on understanding movement ecology, including migratory, breeding and wintering ground movements. However, it is not feasible to put a transmitter on every bird we capture so in conjunction to our transmitter effort have put color bands on birds across their North American range. To effectively doContinue reading “The Mississippi Miracle”
Dark morphs breed in the eastern boreal forests of Canada
We’re currently celebrating some success from last years transmitter effort. Two of the dark birds we tagged, one that Nicole and Bryce caught in Ontario and one that Nick caught in Michigan, have returned for the winter and provided us with an insight into where they spent the summer. Both individuals spent their summer almostContinue reading “Dark morphs breed in the eastern boreal forests of Canada”
Twelve new transmitters deployed in Grande Prairie, Alberta
Nicole and Bryce recently teamed up with a good friend of the project, Sylvain Bourdages, in Grande Prairie, Alberta for a week of exciting field work. An isolated patch of agricultural land surrounded by dense boreal forest, this area is a famous stopover for an incredible diversity and abundance of Red-tailed Hawks. At least, itContinue reading “Twelve new transmitters deployed in Grande Prairie, Alberta”
Comparing plumage, movement, and summer locations in three dark morphs
We are fortunate that three of our birds have settled in summer locations that are in range of a cellular tower, so we are receiving regular updates on their movements. Two of these individuals took an exciting spring migratory route that we haven’t seen until now. Sefi and Ja’Marr moved along the coast of BritishContinue reading “Comparing plumage, movement, and summer locations in three dark morphs”
A band recovery connecting eastern Kansas to Grand Prairie, Alberta
Last month, Bryce caught this stunning dark bird just north of Lawrence, Kansas and discovered that it was already banded. After reporting the band and asking around, he learned that the individual had been captured and banded near Grand Prairie, Alberta in May 2015 by Sylvain Bourdages, an active raptor bander and friend of theContinue reading “A band recovery connecting eastern Kansas to Grand Prairie, Alberta”
A juvenile hybrid Red-tailed X Rough-legged Hawk captured in eastern Kansas
Luke and Bryce recently captured this amazing juvenile Rough-legged x Red-tailed Hawk hybrid in eastern Kansas. Here is our breakdown of the identification – Note the multiple Rough-legged Hawk traits such as head coloration and pattern, including pale auriculars; subtle carpal patch; buffy base coloration to breast and underwing; pale and unpatterned base to flightContinue reading “A juvenile hybrid Red-tailed X Rough-legged Hawk captured in eastern Kansas”
An attempt to better understand the Krider’s Red-tailed Hawk (B. j. kriderii)
One of the research goals of the Red-tailed Hawk Project is to better understand the “Krider’s” Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis kriderii). There has long been debate about the validity of this currently recognized subspecies, because of its variability and that it breeds alongside (and with) birds we consider as the subspecies borealis. The two mostContinue reading “An attempt to better understand the Krider’s Red-tailed Hawk (B. j. kriderii)”
Red-tailed Hawk Project 