Posted by Lindy Martin on January 15, 2011 at 9:15 AM
I was driving down the hwy yesterday and hawk flew past to land in the median. It was eastern Ontario and the hawk / falcon looked to be the size of a northern harrier but had jet black wings with white belly and white on the underside of the wings. At 65mph I didn't get a great look at the head but the jet black made me think of a peregrin falcon. However, the size looked bigger. Any ideas?
Posted by David Graham on January 15, 2011 at 2:05 PM
It happens. I'm reminded of a moment 27 years past that I was standing beside one of the top two or three world class raptor biologists on the crest of the Western escarpment of the Arabian highlands at al Sooda. He was an "old hand" at middle eastern birding; I, a total virgin in that regard. A small "peregrinoid" falcon dashed across our field of view no more than 15 or 20 yards away. I waited through a respectful and pregnant period of silence before having the temerity to ask "Well, was that a Barbary...tiercel maybe?". After a bit more silence the renowned authority shrugged, saying "I don't know; sometimes y'just don't see enough". None of the ol' "...might been a..." or "...sorta like a..." or "coulda been a..." routines. Just a definitive "I don't know.". It happens.
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