Odd Left Leg on Hawk

[Debbie Lynne Chally]

Any ideas on this bird's left leg?

 

[Bill Anderson]

I forwarded a copy of your photo to a friend who is an expert on raptors. Hopefully he will have an idea.

 

[photographmemories]

And that's not prey? I assume that you at least caught another glimpse of the left leg? Was this the only picture? It's fury looking.



Chad

 

[Debbie Lynne Chally]

The outline of the leg seems to be visble down the center of the furry block. I caught sight of him through my dining room window. He turned his head over his shoulder, scanned the area quickly before exiting over the fence. The three or four shots I got were basically identical. I didn't notice the leg until reviewing the photo later.

 

[Bill Anderson]

I forwarded a copy of your photo to a friend who is an expert on raptors. Hopefully he will have an idea.

Here is my friend's reply: Hard to say. Could be a broken leg. Could just be stretching it out.

I think the hawk is a juvenile sharp-shinned hawk. Sharpies and Cooper's hawks have "pantaloon" feathers on the upper part of their legs. It could be that the hawk was stretching its left leg and exposing the "pantaloon" feathers at an unusual angle when you snapped the photo. Or, as my friend suggested, the leg is broken and is dangling, thus exposing the "pantaloon" feathers.

 

[Debbie Lynne Chally]

Stretching the leg out makes sense to me given shape/angle seen beneath the feathering. Thank you!