A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors

Forward by Pete Dunne vii Acknowledgments ix Photo Credits xi Introduction xiii Glossary and Anatomy xv Vultures 1 Turkey Vulture 1 Black Vulture 5 California Condor 7 Osprey 9 Kites 12 Hook-billed Kite 12 Swallow-tailed Kite 15 Snail Kite 20 Mississippi Kite 23 Northern Harrier 28 Accipiters 32 Sharp-shinned haek 32 Cooper's hawk 35 Northern Goshawk 38 Buteonines 42 Common Black Hawk 42 Harris' hawk 42 Gray Hawk 45 Red-shouldered Hawk 49 Broad-winged Hawk 56 Short-tailed Hawk 60 Swainsin's Hawk 63 White-tailed Hawk 73 Zoned-tailed hawk 79 Red-tailed Hawk 82 Ferruginous Hawk 100 Rough-legged hawk 108 Eagles 116 Bald Eagle 116 Golden eagle 123 Crested Caracara 127 Falcons 130 American Kestrel 130 Aplomado Falcon 133 Merlin 136 Prairie Falcon 141 Gyrfalcon 145 Peregrine 149 Vagrants 154 Crane Hawk 154 White-tailed Eagle 154 Stellar's Sea Eagle 155 Roadside hawk 159 Red-backed Buzzard 161 Hawiian hawk 162 Collared Forest-Falcon 163 Common Kestrel 164 Northern Hobby 166 Raptor identification problems 168 Index 197

\ AukI highly recommend this useful guide.\ — Keith L. Bildstein\ \ \ \ \ Indiana Audubon QuarterlyNo one is better at the variabilities of raptor identification than this team of two. . . . The excellent photographs are clear and well chosen. . . . If you take your hawk-watching seriously, buy it.\ — Charles E. Keller\ \ \ IbisThe 377 colour photographs are without exception truly stunning. . . . The plates are conveniently placed next to the relevant species account and show all plumage, both in flight and perched. . . . The authors are to be applauded for their expertise, while not forgetting the problems of the beginner, making this book ideal for both the novice and the profession: there is something new for everyone.\ — Neil Hayward\ \ \ \ \ New Jersey Audubon SocietyAs a hawk watcher of long standing, I have eagerly awaited this utilitarian partner to . . . Hawks. First, because as a reference tool, it will be invaluable to serious hawk watchers. The information it contains is age class and subspecies specific; the format is straight forward; and the material is easily referenced. . . . This new guide, with its employment of photos and integrated concern for the problems presented by lookalike species, will also serve the novice, saving them much time, effort, embarrassment, and . . . Frustration! On a global scale, there are few living human beings who know more about birds of prey than William S. Clark and none, to my mind, who know more about their identification. On the more focused subject of North America's diurnal raptors, he has few peers . . . but one of them is Brian K. Wheeler, whose photos dominate this book. . . . There are many nature photographers who specialize in capturing birds of prey on film. Few are as good as Wheeler and some say none.\ — Pete Dunn, Director, Natural History Information\ \ \ \ \ WildbirdAre you having difficulty unraveling the mysteries of identifying birds of prey? If you are baffled by seemingly similar silhouettes of birds of prey, not to mention plumage variations, then A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors . . . is the perfect field guide for you. With this guide in hand, you will be ahead of other birders at hawkwatching hotspots.\ \ \ \ \ Canadian Field-NaturalistI recommend that you buy two copies, one for home and one for your vehicle.\ \ \ \ \ HMANA Migration StudiesThis book will change your mind about the importance of photographic guides. You will want to use this guide. Here you are treated to stunning photographs that depicts all the field marks that are mentioned in an informative text. . . . This is one outstanding effort and it is a genuine pleasure to look through this book. Brian Wheeler and Bill Clark are the continent's leading authorities on the field identification of diurnal birds of prey. As such, any work that they produce should be taken seriously. They have consistently produced identification publications that have changed the entire hawkwatching world in a significant and positive manner. This field guide is no exception. It offers a novel approach to the identification of hawks in a wonderfully pleasurable environment. Bravo!\ \ \ \ \ Birding WorldFor the raptor enthusiast or North American birder, this is an essential purchase. . . . The authors and publishers have done their work well.\ — Paul Doherty\ \ \ \ \ Journal of Raptor ResearchThe authors have done raptor aficionados a great service by greatly reducing the problems associated with this often difficult-to-identify group of birds.\ — Peter H. Bloom\ \ \ \ \ BirdingThis excellent book is a must-buy for anyone interested in improving their raptor ID skills. I believe it is well worth the price for the high-quality photos alone, but careful review of the test also reveals a wealth of state-of-the-art raptor ID tips that have been field tested by the authors.\ — Ned Harris\ \ \ \ \ Toronto StarNever have I seen a photograph better capture the essence of a birds appearance in flight than the wonderful color photograph of a rough-legged hawk gracing the cover of A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. . . . This book . . . is filled with such images of birds of prey. The pictures are carefully picked, not just for the aesthetic quality that is virtually inevitable for any good photographs of raptors, but to greatly assist birders in the identification of this sometimes bewildering array of birds. It's a great gift for naturalists.\ — Barry Kent Mackay\ \ \ \ \ Canadian Field Naturalist\ I recommend that you buy two copies, one for home and one for your vehicle.\ \ \ \ \ Auk\ - Keith L. Bildstein\ I highly recommend this useful guide.\ \ \ \ \ Indiana Audubon Quarterly\ - Charles E. Keller\ No one is better at the variabilities of raptor identification than this team of two. . . . The excellent photographs are clear and well chosen. . . . If you take your hawk-watching seriously, buy it.\ \ \ \ \ Ibis\ - Neil Hayward\ The 377 colour photographs are without exception truly stunning. . . . The plates are conveniently placed next to the relevant species account and show all plumage, both in flight and perched. . . . The authors are to be applauded for their expertise, while not forgetting the problems of the beginner, making this book ideal for both the novice and the profession: there is something new for everyone.\ \ \ \ \ New Jersey Audubon Society\ - Pete Dunn\ As a hawk watcher of long standing, I have eagerly awaited this utilitarian partner to . . . Hawks. First, because as a reference tool, it will be invaluable to serious hawk watchers. The information it contains is age class and subspecies specific; the format is straight forward; and the material is easily referenced. . . . This new guide, with its employment of photos and integrated concern for the problems presented by lookalike species, will also serve the novice, saving them much time, effort, embarrassment, and . . . Frustration! On a global scale, there are few living human beings who know more about birds of prey than William S. Clark and none, to my mind, who know more about their identification. On the more focused subject of North America's diurnal raptors, he has few peers . . . but one of them is Brian K. Wheeler, whose photos dominate this book. . . . There are many nature photographers who specialize in capturing birds of prey on film. Few are as good as Wheeler and some say none.\ \ \ \ \ Birding World\ - Paul Doherty\ For the raptor enthusiast or North American birder, this is an essential purchase. . . . The authors and publishers have done their work well.\ \ \ \ \ Journal of Raptor Research\ - Peter H. Bloom\ The authors have done raptor aficionados a great service by greatly reducing the problems associated with this often difficult-to-identify group of birds.\ \ \ \ \ Birding\ - Ned Harris\ This excellent book is a must-buy for anyone interested in improving their raptor ID skills. I believe it is well worth the price for the high-quality photos alone, but careful review of the test also reveals a wealth of state-of-the-art raptor ID tips that have been field tested by the authors.\ \ \ \ \ Toronto Star\ - Barry Kent Mackay\ Never have I seen a photograph better capture the essence of a birds appearance in flight than the wonderful color photograph of a rough-legged hawk gracing the cover of A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. . . . This book . . . is filled with such images of birds of prey. The pictures are carefully picked, not just for the aesthetic quality that is virtually inevitable for any good photographs of raptors, but to greatly assist birders in the identification of this sometimes bewildering array of birds. It's a great gift for naturalists.\ \ \ \ \ Toronto StarNever have I seen a photograph better capture the essence of a birds appearance in flight than the wonderful color photograph of a rough-legged hawk gracing the cover of A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. . . . This book . . . is filled with such images of birds of prey. The pictures are carefully picked, not just for the aesthetic quality that is virtually inevitable for any good photographs of raptors, but to greatly assist birders in the identification of this sometimes bewildering array of birds. It's a great gift for naturalists.\ — Barry Kent Mackay\ \ \ \ \ IbisThe 377 colour photographs are without exception truly stunning. . . . The plates are conveniently placed next to the relevant species account and show all plumage, both in flight and perched. . . . The authors are to be applauded for their expertise, while not forgetting the problems of the beginner, making this book ideal for both the novice and the profession: there is something new for everyone.\ — Neil Hayward\ \ \ \ \ HMANA Migration StudiesThis book will change your mind about the importance of photographic guides. You will want to use this guide. Here you are treated to stunning photographs that depicts all the field marks that are mentioned in an informative text....This is one outstanding effort and it is a genuine pleasure to look through this book. Brian Wheeler and Bill Clark are the continent's leading authorities on the field identification of diurnal birds of prey. As such, any work that they produce should be taken seriously. They have consistently produced identification publications that have changed the entire hawkwatching world in a significant and positive manner. This field guide is no exception. It offers a novel approach to the identification of hawks in a wonderfully pleasurable environment. Bravo!\ \ \ \ \ Paul DohertyFor the raptor enthusiast or North American birder, this is an essential purchase....The authors and publishers have done their work well. \ —Birding World\ \ \ \ \ Peter BloomThe authors have done raptor aficionados a great service by greatly reducing the problems associated with this often difficult-to-identify group of birds. \ —Journal Of Raptor Research\ \ \ \ \ Ned HarrisThis excellent book is a must-buy for anyone interested in improving their raptor ID skills. I believe it is well worth the price for the high-quality photos alone, but careful review of the test also reveals a wealth of state-of-the-art raptor ID tips that have been field tested by the authors. \ —Birding\ \ \ \ \ Barry Kent MacKayNever have I seen a photograph better capture the essence of a birds appearance in flight than the wonderful color photograph of a rough-legged hawk gracing the cover of A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors, by Brian K. Wheeler and William S. Clark...This book, published by Academic Press, is filled with such images of birds of prey. The pictures are carefully picked, not just for the aesthetic quality that is virtually inevitable for any good photographs of raptors, but to greatly assist birders in the identification of this sometimes bewildering array of birds. Its a great gift for naturalists. \ — The Toronto Star\ \ \ \ \ Humphrey Q.P. CrickThis is a fine guide and I certainly would not be without it if I lived in North America. \ —British Birds\ \ \ \ \ Charles E. KellerNo one is better at the variabilities of raptor identification than this team of two....The excellent photographs are clear and well chosen....If you take your hawk-watching seriously, buy it. \ —Indian Audubon Quarterly\ \ \ \ \ Neil HaywardThe 377 colour photographs are without exception truly stunning...The plates are conveniently placed next to the relevant species account and show all plumage, both in flight and perched...The authors are to be applauded for their expertise, while not forgetting the problems of the beginner, making this book ideal for both the novice and the profession: there is something new for everyone. \ —Ibis\ \ \ \ \ WildbirdAre you having difficulty unraveling the mysteries of identifying birds of prey? If you are baffled by seemingly similar silhouettes of birds of prey, not to mention plumage variations, then A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors by BrianWheeler and William S. Clark is the perfect field guide for you. With this guide in hand, you will be ahead of other birders at hawkwatching hotspots.\ \ \ \ \ Canadian Field NaturalistI recommend that you buy two copies, one for home and one for your vehicle.\ \