Identify This Hawk!

That's Fred, I'd recognize him anywhere, I've talked to him many times.

Big. Nasty. Lots of sharp things. Not a duck. Do I win a prize? ;-)

could it be a broad-winged hawk?

It's either B. eatamousadae or B. takanoccassionalbunii.

Broad-winged was my first guess, what with fall migration starting up. I know they're starting to turn up at the Corpus Christi Hawkwatch.

I'm thinking broad-winged, too, without taking a look at one of my books. I'm glad to see that others thought the same thing. Maybe I'm not completely off-base. :D

ALSO, LOL about "Fred."

Not too good on American buzzards but I'll say its a Broad winged hawk too.

Why is it us Europeans use buzzard for buteo, and hawk for accipiter? And Americans just lump them all together as hawk?

Just curious.

It is a very rare Studebaker Hawk.

...Shithawks Ricky, Shithawks.

coopers hawk

I think it's a Broad-winged hawk, Buteo platypterus, at Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

American birders call accipiter hawks for accipiters...
Buteos are called hawks.
Buzzard is a casual name (not used by birders) for New World vultures, especially Turkey Vulture.

I think...

It's definitely Fred. I've seen him many times.

Buzzard is used for New World vultures, but it's definitely incorrect, since Buteos are more correctly termed buzzards. I believe the usage came from the early settlers, naming the new-to-them birds often based on what they reminded them of. Which is what gave us the American Robin, not really that similar to the European Robin aside from having red on its chest. The soaring Turkey Vultures were likely identified from their far-off silhouettes (in a time when high-tech optics were absent) and the most similar bird remembered from the Old World was used to name them. It's not an accepted name the way that "American Robin" is.

"Buzzard" may not be the correct term, but there's a dozen or more buzzards who have taken a shine to the airspace above the suburban office building where I work. I think they use the thermals rising off the parking lot to rest their wings. (At any rate, they're not feeding here.)

There's something darkly sardonic about working in an office where there are constantly vultures circling overhead. It's like living in an editorial cartoon about the economy. At the same time, they're wonderful birds and a delight to watch whenever I take a break. On a hot, sunny day, they'll come in low (maybe 10 meters?) over the lot, and cast these huge thunderbird-like shadows on the asphalt. Magnificent.

As long as they don't poop on my car.