A strikingly dark Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) on Bodega Head, 6 October 2016.
I photographed this bird while sitting in the car. Here's a view of the underwing when the hawk took off. Note the very dark leading edge:
The hawk landed on the wire very briefly before taking off again. I didn't get a shot that was in focus, but you can see the red tail, so it seemed worth showing:
This is one of the darkest Red-tailed Hawks I've seen on Bodega Head. Several years ago, I photographed an even darker bird soaring over Bodega Harbor (closer to Doran Beach). My best guess on that bird was a 'Harlan's Hawk,' a different subspecies. To see those pictures and to compare the tail colors and patterns, review the post from 28 January 2012.
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