| Genus buteo characteristics | • Larger than Accipiters – Heavier bodies
• Large rounded wings
• Short fan-shaped tails |
| Rough-legged hawk physical characteristics | • Dark belly markings
• Tail with wide terminal band
• Black wrist patches – Visible in flight
• Legs feathered to toes
• Light and dark phases |
| What is the status of rough-legged hawks? | Blue listed |
| Where do rough-legged hawks spend winter? | Southern BC |
| Ferruginous Hawk physical characteristics | • Light belly with few markings
• Reddish leg feathers – Feathered to toes
• In flight Red legs form a V |
| Ferruginous hawk preferred habitat and BC distribution | • Prefers open country – Eats ground squirrels
• Uncommon in BC – Few summer in Okanagan |
| Red-tailed hawk characteristics | • Most widespread Buteo
• Adult – Reddish-brown top of tail
• 4 outer primaries – Emarginated: tapered towards the tip
• Dark patagials – Leading edge of underwing
• Light and dark phases |
| Swainson's hawk characteristics | • White belly, dark head
• 3 outer primaries emarginated
• Perched – Wingtips extend beyond end of tail
• Light and dark phases |
| Swainson's hawk BC distribution and status | Summer in ThompsonOkanagan
Red-listed |
| Broad-winged hawk characteristics | • Smallest Buteo – Crow size
• Broad white tail band
• 3 outer primaries emarginated
• Perched – Wingtips don’t extend beyond end of tail |
| Broad-winged hawk BC distribution and status | Rare in BC – Mainly Peace region
Blue-listed |
| Falconidae characteristics | • Long, pointed wings – Similar length as tail when perched
• “Tomial Tooth” – Protrusion on upper mandible used to break neck of prey
• Use stealth to catch prey |
| American Kestral characteristics | • Smallest falcon
• Double malar stripe
• Sexually dimorphic
– Male: rufous back, bluegray wings
– Female: rufous wings and back
• Bobs tails when perched |
| American kestral BC distribution and feeding | • Common in BC – Especially interior
• Hunts in open country
– Often hovers
– Prey: birds, insects, mice |
| Marlin charcteristics | • Small dark falcon
– Adult: blueish
– Juvenile: brown, barred belly
• Faint malar stripe
• Narrow buffy eyebrow
• White barring on tail |
| Peregrine falcon characteristics | • Broad dark malar stripe
• Fastest birds
– 300 km/hr in stoop
– Use force of impact to stun or kill prey in mid-air |
| What is the status of the 2 subspecies of peregrine falcon? | – Coastal: blue-listed
– Continental: red-listed |
| Prairie falcon characteristics | • Same size as peregrine
• Narrow brown malar stripe |
| Prairie falcon status | Red-listed |
| Gyrfalcon characteristics | • Largest falcon
• Three colour phases
– White, gray and dark. Gray most common in BC
• Faint malar stripe |
| Gyrafalcon BC distribution and status | — Breeds in northwest BC. Winters in south BC
— Blue-listed |
