Purple-tailed Hawk subspecies abieticola
Purple-tailed Hawk subspecies borealis
I did the Hawk Migration Affiliation’s Winter Raptor Survey yesterday in MA in chilly, fully cloudy skies with about 7 In. snow cowl. The Purple-tailed Hawks weren’t hovering, however hunted by perching. Take a look at the fascinating distinction in these two Purple-tailed Hawks I noticed. The colourful one on the left, with a darkish throat, buffy wash aross the chest, and far heavier, blobby stomach band would possibly probably be a candidate for the abieticola subspecies (Buteo jamaicensis abieticola). There was confusion and disagreement about this subspecies with a lot to study. W.E. Clyde Todd was the primary to explain it in 1950, naming it abieticola “dweller of the firs” since Abies is the genus of true firs and he thought its breeding vary was within the Balsam Fir vary. Its breeding vary is within the boreal zone from Alaska to Atlantic Canada. How cool is that to suppose this northern customer has come to spend the winter right here. The paler fowl on the fitting appears like our native borealis subspecies who breeds from sw. Alberta east to Maritime Provinces on the southern periphery of the Boreal Forest, and south from cen. Texas east to n. Florida, winters from n. Nice Plains, the Nice Lakes area and s. New England south to e. Mexico. Purple-tailed Hawk subspecies are difficult there are 16 subspecies (in keeping with Birds of the World) in two teams with a lot regional variation.
The wintering vary of abieticola is within the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains and there may be a lot to study concerning the wintering and migration habits of this subspecies. You possibly can assist by paying extra consideration to the redtails you see and importing your pictures to eBird. To study extra about this subspecies see this glorious paper by Jerry Liguori and Brian Sullivan. There may be additionally ongoing analysis on this and different subspecies of redtails by The Purple-tailed Hawk Mission who contemplate abieticola to be ploymorphic.
There may be additionally ongoing analysis on this and different subspecies of redtails by The Purple-tailed Hawk Mission who contemplate abieticola to be ploymorphic, see right here.
