Cuban red-tailed hawk explained

The Cuban red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis solitudinus) is a subspecies of red-tailed hawk native to the Bahamas, Florida, and Cuba.

Description

This subspecies is fairly small, intermediate in size between the Florida red-tailed hawk (B. j. umbrinus) and the nominate subspecies, the Jamaican red-tailed hawk (B. j. jamaicensis), found on islands to the north and south. The wing chord of males can range from 357to, averaging 370mm, and, in females, it ranges from 397to, averaging 405.4mm. Males and females average 221.2and in tail length, 88.5and in tarsal length, and 27.2and in culmen length.

Taxonomy

Like other island races, the validity of this subspecies has been called into question, but it has its defenders as well. Generally, this subspecies appears as a diminutive version of B. j. umbrinus in plumage characteristics but is considerably isolated from that race.^{[1] [2] [3]}

Notes and References

1. Book: Ferguson-Lees, J. . Christie, D. . amp . 2001 . Raptors of the World . . 978-0-7136-8026-3 . London.
2. Preston, C. R. & Beane, R. D. (2009). "Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)". The Birds of North America. .
3. White, J.. Kennedy, L. M.. Christie, M. E.. amp. 2017. Do perceptions of the Red-tailed Hawk indicate a human-wildlife conflict on the island of la Gonave, Haiti? . Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography. 38. 2. 258–268. 10.1111/sjtg.12189. 2017SJTG...38..258W .