RE: Predatory dinosaurs of Baltimore - the real raptor red

["Thomas R. Holtz, Jr." <tholtz@geol.umd.edu>]

> From: owner-dinosaur@usc.edu [mailto:owner-dinosaur@usc.edu]On Behalf Of
> Danvarner@aol.com
>
> In a message dated 2/15/2005 4:01:31 PM Eastern  Standard Time,
> GSP1954@aol.com writes:
> << Not sure what kind of hawk it  was. It was fairly large, the size of a big
> crow. Maybe too big for a pigeon  hawk, have seen one around here for years.
> A
> dull brown uppersides, off  white underneath. Wonder if it was a fully grown
> juvenile.  >>
> My best guess would be a Red-tail. They are very  common here in the East and
> have become rather fearless since they are no longer  shot on sight. There is
> wide variation in plumages through ontogeny. Cooper's  hawks have become very
> common, also, but are more likely to prey on other birds.  As a bird guide,
> _The Sibley Guide to Birds_has no equal for here in the States,  and it's very
> helpful with juvenile plumages.

Dan beat me to the punch. I would say a full-sized juvenile Red-tail is most 
likely. We certainly get a lot of them down here in the
D.C. area. And I remember once when I was still in New Haven that I came out of 
the back entrace to the Hall of Graduate Studies,
and a Red-tail was munching away on a squirrel (well, half one...) without 
caring about the odd passing humans.  (And some of them
were certain rather odd... :-).

                Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.
                Vertebrate Paleontologist
Department of Geology           Director, Earth, Life & Time Program
University of Maryland          College Park Scholars
        Mailing Address:
                Building 237, Room 1117
                College Park, MD  20742

http://www.geol.umd.edu/~tholtz/
http://www.geol.umd.edu/~jmerck/eltsite
Phone:  301-405-4084    Email:  tholtz@geol.umd.edu
Fax (Geol):  301-314-9661       Fax (CPS-ELT): 301-405-0796