Question!

[Kathleen Paulsen]

About 2 weeks ago at Marshal Mesa trails near 93 & 170, I got a glimpse of a bird with rust colored wings, a white bar across it's tail near it's body, sitting in a tree briefly b4 flying away and that's all I can report. Nothing I have seen in my books or online seem to line up with what this bird may be. Either that or I'm seeing incorrectly.

Does anyone have an idea what bird this may have been? Thanks for any thoughts!

[Kathy Buckley]

Boy, Kathleen, the first thing I thought of was a flicker, until you said the beak was short. Could the beak have been longer?

[Kathleen Paulsen]

At this time it could've been a flicker, although at that time, it sure didn't resemble one. I probably didn't get the best look at the bird that day! Thanks for the thought.

[Don Grall]

Based on the limited description, one guess would be a female Northern Harrier, a fairly large bird, but then you didn't say how big it was.

[Kathleen Paulsen]

Hi Don,
As to size of the bird, I'd guess at about 9". It was a long distance away & my measurement guess is just that! Maybe I'll see one like it again! Thanks!