Short-tailed Hawk (Buteo brachyurus), Proctor Road, lower Madera Canyon, Pima County

This Short-tailed Hawk was photographed by Laurens Halsey on 05 May 2015

This appears to be the same bird as photographed by Tonya Holland on 4/23/2015 at nearby Florida Canyon, based on the appearance of missing P1s in her photos.

Short-tailed Hawk has been expanding its range northward and increasing in Arizona for the last several years and it has bred. However most reports are from montane forest in the southern "sky islands".

Nearly pure white underparts including chin & throat and underwing linings. Dark brown crown & auriculars with white chin giving helmeted appearance. Whitish base to black tipped primaries. Secondaries banded, progressively darker to broad black band at tips. Tail banded with broad subterminal black band. Tail pattern indicates subadult. Bird appears to be missing P1 on either wing and R1 (right-side) appears broken (or missing).

05 May 2015, photo by Laurens Halsey