Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis harlani), Green Reservoir Road, Santa Cruz Flats, Pinal County

This Harlan's Red-tailed Hawk was discovered and photographed by Pierre Deviche on 24 December 2011 but may be the same individual that was observed and photographed 23 December 2011 in the same area by Philip Kline.

Rarely documented in Arizona but maybe under-reported due to difficulty in separating it from more common subspecies of Red-tailed Hawk. 

This bird is an adult due to the broad black tips to all the flight feathers.  It is a black-and-white hawk. No rufous on tail, which is greyish, lightly barred, and has a darker terminal band. Breast is pale with heavy dark streaking. Dark belly. Upperwing dark, without the pale outer "window" that is usually seen on the Western Red-tailed Hawk.   Typical dark morph adult Western Red-tails usually have a brownish tone to the feathers and red tails. 

24 December 2011, photo by Pierre Deviche