Red-tailed Hawk- Buteo jamaicensis Consuming Prey
by Bryce W. Robinson
I took this video the other day. At the beginning, you can see the bird reject the intestines of the rodent. Everything else is consumed. It is a bit long, but worth a watch. The hawk gets very animated towards the end. It is quite the treat to view, as a great deal of detail is visible.
I wonder about this bird. In the winter, it is difficult to distinguish visitors from residents. This is a unique looking bird. White on the lores, crown, and supercilium is not common amongst Utah’s western Red-tailed Hawks. Perhaps this is a bird from the north country. One cannot be sure, but it is fun to wonder.
ornithologi.com 
That is a stunning Red-tailed Bryce.
Isn’t it? Glad you like it Mia.
Ah, looks like a kangaroo rat tail…poor guy. But good on the RTHA. Haha. I saw one today actually at the park I was at. I flushed it up off the ground from in the bushes (odd…) into a tree where it literally threw the intestines at me as I stood about 20 ft away. Crazy bird. And it was DARK. OMG it was such a dark bird. Not a speck of white anywhere on the body, the wings dark, barely to no red on the tail. It was beautiful. I wish I’d gotten a picture!
I wish you had too Melissa! I love dark morphs.
Interesting thing about this RTHA, I knew it wasn’t a Western. Jerry Liguori tipped me off to the fact that this is a borealis, or eastern bird. It is likely a breeder in northern Canada. I was unaware that these birds can occur west of the rockies, but apparently they can. I am so excited to have it on film.
Really enjoyed the clip, Bryce. Interesting bird and several interesting behaviors – intestine rejection, swallowing that leg bone was a bit of a chore and I don’t think I recall seeing a raptor rouse in the process of swallowing before.
The point where it does the rouse made me giggle while I was filming it. So interesting.