The Roadside Hawk (Buteo magnirostris) at the right was photographed in Campeche, Mexico, in April, 1991. This species ranges from northeast Mexico south into Brazil and Argentina. The species has been documented several times in the United States (all U.S. records are from deep south Texas), but many other reports of the species in the U.S. are not substantiated. It is a very rare bird in the United States, but should be watched for along the Rio Grande in far south Texas. The photo at right was taken with a Canon T-90 & FD 400mm F/4.5 lens with a 1.4X extender and Fresnel flash on Kodachrome 64 from a BushHawk shoulder mount. The bird was perched in a small tree along a dirt road and remained for several photos. This species is sometimes relatively tame and tolerant of a birder or photographer.
The birds in northern Mexico average browner than the photographed bird at right, while birds in southern Mexico are often more gray as the photo illustrates. This is an adult bird, identified as such by the rather solid upper breast pattern and the barred belly. The immatures typically display a more vertically streaked upper breast. Note the light iris which is characteristic of adults of this species, while the next three shots below show a darker iris of the immature bird.The next 5 shots below, both immature and adult, are from December, 2004, in southern Tamaulipas, Mexico. All of the below shots were digital captures with a Canon EOS 1D Mark II and an EF 600mm F/4 L IS lens and 1.4X extender. Of the below four shots, the top three are all of the same immature bird. The lower photos are different individuals, both adults.
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