# What Type of Hawk/



## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

Today driving SB on M37 at 2 Mile, just north of White Cloud there was a massive raptor on a telephone pole.

I pulled over to try and get a picture when it flew up and started to hover about 50 feet in the air.

It was about twice as big as a normal sized redtail hawk. It was basically all brown.

It had light shades of white along the topside of its wing feathers and it had a very, very fan shaped tail.

Couldn't get a photo. 

It was almost the size of a black vulture. It definitely was a raptor though. Feathered head. It wasn't an owl - head was narrow.

What type of raptor?

Thanks!


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## wallyguy (Mar 20, 2009)

Immature eagle?


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## BradU20 (Jan 17, 2005)

That would be my guess...


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

I was thinking that but thought it odd for an eagle to hover like a hawk looking for a mouse. I also didn't think that eagles had faint white streaks along the topsides of their lower wings.

But it definitely had a brown chest and not any of the speckling that you would see on a hawk's chest.

The Muskegon river isn't too far away so maybe it was an eagle.

I also did see a kestrel perched on a wire tearing into a small bird in its talons.


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## 2PawsRiver (Aug 4, 2002)

I would also guess young eagle, unles there was open water, then maybe an osprey. For your sake I'm hoping it's not an eagle, they have been known to eat snakes.

My attempt at a lawyer joke...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## OH-YEAH!!! (Jun 18, 2009)

2PawsRiver said:


> I would also guess young eagle, unles there was open water, then maybe an osprey. For your sake I'm hoping it's not an eagle, they have been known to eat snakes.
> 
> My attempt at a lawyer joke...
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Or rats. Or insects.


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## aslongasitpullsback (Dec 30, 2005)

Most likely a rough legged hawk. Slightly larger than a red-tail...
Banned one back when I was in High school.... a very beautiful Bird...
Note the two color phases.... and they do hover like a red tail
http://www.birds-of-north-america.net/rough-legged-hawk.html


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