Connecticut Audubon Society Staff Finds Unique Hybrid Hawk In Connecticut

A hybrid Red-tailed x Red-shouldered Hawk found during the Oxford Christmas Bird Count. Photo by Frank Gallo.

Frank Gallo, associate director of our Coastal Center at Milford Point and among the top birders in the state, came across an unusual-looking hawk while he was surveying for the Oxford Christmas Bird Count several years ago. Its features and behavior appeared to be a perfect mix of a Red-tailed Hawk and a Red-shouldered Hawk. Intrigued, he took notes and a few photographs and later that day shared his observations with some of the country’s leading raptor experts. All agreed that the bird in question seems to fit the bill for a hybrid Red-tailed X Red-shouldered Hawk a unique anomaly and something that rarely happens in nature. In spite of the odds, the hawk seems to be in perfectly good health. More information, pictures and expert commentary can be found on our blog here.