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Tom Smith
07-10-2007, 09:56 PM
Photo of wild Gray Hawk formerly Mexican Goshawk. Adult near nest in SE Arizona

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z128/tomns/Grey_Hawk.jpg

everetkhorton
07-10-2007, 10:31 PM
Tom S.
Nice photo. Sure has a long tail.

Tom Smith
07-11-2007, 02:02 AM
Tail does not appear that long in flight like a coops. All in all this a striking looking bird and the tail is especially attractive when the bird is soaring. They are pretty much a lizard eater.

everetkhorton
07-11-2007, 08:34 AM
Tom:
Has anyone ever tried to use them as a falconry bird? How much do you think there weight is?

`Chris L.
07-11-2007, 09:51 AM
Tom,
Welcome to NAFEX. I appreciate you taking the time to post that picture. Wow, what a great looking bird. Do you have any more of it?

thank you again and Welcome

Tom Smith
07-11-2007, 11:02 AM
Thanks for welcome Chris The South American falconer "virdz" has a pic of one, an immy, in his post. Buteo nitida. They are extremely rare in the US. More common south of the border. Females appear to be about 20oz 560g males 15oz.425g just guessing. They are not shy though and are fairly tame. They are a kick to watch hunt lizards off poles because they are pretty animated, spin around a lot and train their head on a suspected target until they select one for attack. I know very little about them, they are new to me also. T

virdz
08-11-2007, 02:26 AM
Hi guys, if you read in many raptor biology books, you will find that Buteo nitidus is described as an active hunter, which catches birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates. For example, they describe this bird as having a powerful wingstroke, as opposed to the Road Side hawk (Buteo magnirostris) which has a "butterfly" wingbeat.
I had experience with a rehabbed passage male and took several birds, including two shrike and a bunny before it was lost and hopefully regained its life in the wild. I saw females catching rabbits better than male harris and taking quail on the rise, you wouldn´t believe the strenght in their feet.
I would say that Buteo nitidus (it was reclassiffied after being put in another order of its own but can´t remember now) is the best choice after a coopers, fast, manoeuvrable and tame and VERY strong feet although buteo sized.
Regards

wilded
08-11-2007, 06:18 PM
Gray Hawks also nest in two general areas of Texas. First, Gray Hawks have been nesting with regularity in two locations in Big Bend National Park throughout the 1990s. These locations are at the Cottonwood Campgrounds on the west side of the park and in the area of Rio Grande Village on the east side of the park. Second, Gray Hawks are found at various locations in Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, such as Santa Margarita Ranch, Falcon Dam area, Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park, Santa Ana NWR and its associated LRGV refuges. Gray Hawks have been seen north of the Valley in Falfurrias in Brooks County and Rivera in Kleberg County in 1990s. A knowledgeable biological technician at Guadalupe Mts Nat'l Park, with familiarity of Gray Hawk in her native Arizona, reported Gray Hawk at the park in 1997. Texas population is small but nonetheless present.