This is one of three Harris's Hawks flying nearby; I got out of the truck just in time to catch a shot. This bird is indigenous pretty much to South Texas.
@lynnb Thank you so much for your comment. It's very important to me to accurately characterize the birds I photograph, as I view this as a way to impart information about various species. So, when I saw your reference to Harris's Hawks being at a facility in Canada, I thought maybe I needed to do some research! If I'm correct, you're referring to Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation at BurrowingOwl.com? I searched their site high and low, and only found mention of four hawks: the Ferruginous, Red-tailed, Swainson's and the Northern Harrier. In addition, I checked the range maps at WhatBird.com (http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/475/overview/Harriss_Hawk.aspx) for the Harris's Hawk and it reinforced what I thought was the bird's habitat, i.e., the SW USA. By contrast, the range for the Northern Harrier - a migratory raptor - includes much of Canada. My question - does the Harris's Hawk live in Canada? If so, I need to know about it! Or - has the Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation brought in Harris's Hawks as part of its raptor program? I guess I need to make sure I am sharing correct information; your help would be much appreciated - thank you!!
Cissy, no the Harris Hawk is not found up here naturally and I could have sworn that they had some there that they used during their demonstrations. Perhaps that has changed (it has been 3-4 years since I've been there and I don't think I confused the name with Harrier). I am sorry to confuse you and cause you angst. They had definitely been brought in for the purpose of demonstration. But now I will have to double check my info and make sure it was accurate. I agree that it appears they no longer have them at the facility.
@lynnb WHEW! Thank you for your quick and comforting reply! I will say that some Harris's Hawks can seem quite tame...today in fact, I walked right up to one sitting on a power pole and he never flew. Others, however, take off when any manifestation of humanity gets within a half-mile. So, depending on the bird, it wouldn't surprise me if they were included in a demonstration. They're beautiful birds which I greatly admire. Thank you again, another learning experience which I embrace!
I have been further researching and they definitely were there as I found reference in a 2001 article, but strictly brought in for demos, not released here and not found here. @coastandcactus
@lynnb Then we are both right - I love it when that happens! I hope people were awe-struck by the beauty of these great birds, and kudos to the good people at Alberta Birds of Prey Foundation for their work. I'm impressed with what I saw on their site. Thank you again!
A fantastic shot, well captured. By the way, Harris Hawks are kept widely across Europe for hunting and for pleasure, and also seen regularly at displays and in Bird Centres.
@sailingmusic Thank you, Myrna! I'm still trying to close the sale on my house so I can get to the photography "Promised Land" at the Texas coast! Hope to get it done this Friday. Meanwhile, I did get some shots yesterday, will post shortly!
They are marvelous birds! How lucky for you to see them in the wild. I got to fly (glove to glove) our juvenile Harris Hawk, Wyatt over the weekend and he was a pro.
