Osprey or Red-tail?

[Lynn Feindel]

Taken 11/3/24 from our house in Harpswell - it hung out in a tree across the street for several minutes. I know Osprey are rare by this date, but it seemed too big to be a red-tail and several pictures I looked at on raptor websites showed osprey looking just like this.

[Steve Plumb]

I won't make a guess personally but I did submit the photos to google lens and iNaturalist.
Both had Red-tail Hawk as the first suggestion and Red-shouldered Hawk as 2nd. Osprey was much further down the list, 5th in iNat.
Let us all know if you come to a decision.

Steve

> On Nov 22, 2024, at 19:27, 'Lynn Feindel' via Maine birds <maine...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>
> Taken 11/3/24 from our house in Harpswell - it hung out in a tree across the street for several minutes. I know Osprey are rare by this date, but it seemed too big to be a red-tail and several pictures I looked at on raptor websites showed osprey looking just like this.
>

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[Mike Chace-Ortiz]

Looks like an immature red-tail to me.

Did you get a look at the front?

Cheers

—mco

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[Daniel Carr]

I’m betting redtail. Osprey would be darker colored.

The picture is wonderful.

Sent from my mobile device

Daniel B. Carr, P.E., P.G.
186 Waterhouse Road
Dayton. Maine

> On Nov 22, 2024, at 9:32 PM, Mike Chace-Ortiz <mchac...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Looks like an immature red-tail to me.

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[Jennifer Miller]

Immature hawks can be tricky! This is an immature Red-tailed Hawk. Start with the white dots on the back that form a wide “V”; this narrows it down to a Buteo. The light colored eye and barred tail with wider light bands and narrower dark bands help narrow it down to a Red-tail. An immature Red-shouldered Hawk will have chocolate colored eyes and a barred tail with wide dark bands and narrow light bands. Notice how the wing tips end midway down the tail. An Osprey’s wings are longer than its tail when perched. Great picture! 

Jennifer 

Jennifer Miller

Lubbock, TX

(o,o)

 /)_)

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Blog:

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[New Email]

Thanks, everyone, for your help!  I’ll go with young Red-tail.  I knew it seemed like an hawk, but also seemed larger and my raptor ID app had pictures that looked so much like my husband’s photo (camera with zoom lens, not my phone) that I figured it must be an Osprey, even though neither are exactly common in our area at this time.  We live near water so get Ospreys very often, Red-tails not too often.  It never turned around so we didn’t get any front body looks.  Anyway, thanks! 

Lynn 

Sent from my iPhone

On Nov 22, 2024, at 10:27 PM, Jennifer Miller <foundna...@gmail.com> wrote:



[Daniel B. Carr]

Thanks for sharing the wonderful photo.  While Red Tails look pretty large, they are remarkably light.  A few years ago I stopped along the Maine Turnpike to pick up what appeared to be a deceased Red Tail on the rumble strip right hand lane.  I just couldn’t bear to see such a beautiful bird along the road.  When I picked it up it was alive and I was surprised how light it was.  Sibley says they may weigh about 2.4 pounds. 

I took the bird to the Center for Wildlife in York and about a month later they called me to pick it up and release it.  So fun!

Daniel B. Carr

carrp...@gmail.com

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[Tammy Packie]

We agree.

Wonderful photos and great story Daniel.

Tammy Packie

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