Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Guess...

What is happening in this photo? And what species, and where?
Update:

13 comments:

Andrea said...

Red shouldered hawk chasing off a ? zone tailed?

Moro Rogers said...

An interspecies couple?

Gil said...

Common Black-Hawk Buteogallus anthracinus. Southwestern US.

Darrell said...

One is a dark morph of the same species?

Steve Bodio said...

Moro has it-- a Black hawk and a Red- shoulder, mated, with eggs--in the California wine country! The Black is very much out of range.

And insanely, apparently, the State of CA is considering killing them for the bio- crime of miscegenation. One of the Scandinavian countries did this years ago with a hybrid falcon that nested with a Peregrine, and I made fun of them; I didn't think we would EVER go so far. I hadn't reckoned with California craziness...

Why not, if they must interfere, trap them and see what they will produce?

Moro Rogers said...

But...but...the Black Hawk isn't even...Okay, that's f----d on a number of levels. Is there a petition or something I can sign?

Steve Bodio said...

I am waiting to hear...

Anonymous said...

wtf? are we nuts, or what. I want to say, "Surely you jest", but I guess you don't. Nothing surprises me anymore, just amazes me or sorely disappoints.

Daniela said...

Wonder when public stoning of adulterous birds will be instituted to deal with trans- species flirting...

Anonymous said...

Are those birds the same sex?

Anonymous said...

Human anal control of Nature(of EVERYTHING, actually) is caused by too many pesticides/herbicides in the environment.....L.B.

Terence Wright said...

Last i heard from the falconer who found this odd couple chicks had hatched. I know no more than that but will see if I can snag some pics of the chicks.

Steve Bodio said...

That is exciting. I guess sanity has prevailed so far. Let us know if you hear anything-- or find any more pics!