There was a hint of magic in the air on this beautiful October day. An incredibly clear, blue sky and a sense that the mystical bird was really going to appear. How exciting it was, just as we were about to give up… there he sat… a beautiful white hawk. This is a partial albino Red-tailed Hawk that I first spotted January 26th on South Jenkins in Norman. When it swooped across the front of my car on that winter day, I thought I was having an “other-worldly experience.” I later learned that several Norman-area birders had been observing him at the area near the Norman Police Department gun range. And that’s where he was today. Thanks to Dick Gunn who recently let me know that the bird was still in the area and Nathan Kuhnert, my birding buddy for the afternoon, I was able to find the bird and try for a few more photographs. The bird doesn’t let me get very close, and even with my 12x zoom enhanced by a 1.7 tele extender I just wasn’t able to get a great photo of the bird. But I’m going to keep trying! If the price of gas stays reasonable (it was $2.27/gal. today), I’ll gladly make the 30 mile trip for a chance at more pictures!
$2.27 a gallon!? What planet are you living on?
Seriously, I have never heard of an albino bird. How much fun to see this!
P.s. GREAT photo!
I don’t know how we got so lucky, but gas prices fell this week! They’ve been going down more than $.10 a day. Still trying to conserve, though.
You are making me envious again it’s roughly $7 a gallon over here in the UK and most of that is tax.
Really nice photo of the white hawk. The only fully albino bird I’ve seen over here was a blackbird, some of it’s offspring had white patches and although the male albino survived for quite a few years none of it’s “patchy” young were seen again in the following years.
I was actually doing an image search on hawks and came across this image – stunning! I’ll be back to visit your wonderful blog again. 🙂
I saw one of these last weekend north of Kingston and didn’t believe what I was seeing. Now I believe it. It was solid white and enjoying some fresh roadkill.
They are so cool looking!
I have been seeing a huge white bird for the last couple of years where I work in Bedford, MA.
Today I got close enough to see that it matches your photo exactly even with the little bit of gray on the wing tips. Beautiful Bird
I’ve seen this bird south of Riviera Drive (Riverchase subdivision) — over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2005 — i thought it was a snow owl or something. It perched in a great old tree behind my house and later delighter me with a “fly by” — my camera was not close by or i would have tried to get an image!
Bedford MA You have answered my question
I saw this bird on Saturday 10 /20 off RT 3 North between Bedford and Burlington MA
All three of us in the van did a double take!
I’ve been on many raptor trips and had no idea what it was until I started searching today.
At first I thought it maybe an albino eagle or perhaps a white gyr falcon but seeing pics on line it was definitley an albino red tail.
Thanks
my husband and I saw one on the outskirts of Pulaski, Tn. last Saturday. As soon as I spotted it perched on a tree limb, I knew it was a solid white hawk. He just had that distinctive hawk look about him. Unfortunately, the battery in my camera was dead 🙁
I hadn’t seen this bird in my area for a couple of years and my neighbor and i spotted him about a month ago in Norman, south of Hwy 9 near Jenkins — what a treat!
Barbara
Pat, what a coincidence.I’m here in Norman,OK(going to school for the U.S.P.S) and just got off the phone with my wife in NJ. Where we walk our dogs on a no longer in business golf course she spotted what looked like a snowy owl…but more hawk like. She’s convinced now that it’s an albino red tailed hawk. I came across your blog while googling images.I can’t wait to get home to see it!!
I’m interested in any other sightings of albino hawks. The one in Norman (OK) has been around for 3-4 years perhaps but it sure is hard to locate! I’ve driven the area on Jenkins many times hoping to get better photos but haven’t seen it in two years. Let me know when you see one! Thanks, Pat
WHOA! WE HAVE ONE LIVING AROUND OUR COMMUNITY IN TEXAS!
I got this bird. I wanna know what he eats.
he Damm beauiful.
A White HAWK.
my mail is maharaja_dushyant@yahoo.com
My folks and I saw this beautiful bird about 6:30PM (Aug 5th 2008) in our backyard in Burlington, MA (Close to rte 62 and rte 3 and on the Bedford, MA line. It was just sitting on one of the branches for about 15 minutes looking into the woods and around him. Then, he spotted something and flew off…with an incrediable wing span. The bird’s welcomed to come back and visit us again soon.
Same bird seen Aug 20 2008 in N Bedford near route 3 near Old Billerica Road. It was just sitting in a tree overlooking our yard. Then it flew across the street. Wow!
i was one of the white hawk at my work in a field flying at pryor oklahoma sat 11-8-08 ive never see a white hawk until then , donnie
I spotted an identicle hawk while cruising the local country roads during my lunch break today….I live in Blackwell in Northern Oklahoma. I could not wait to get back to work and Google the image of what I saw. He or she was perched on top of a pole just like this picture and swooped down right in front of my truck….I got an awesome view……Bob Kennedy, Blackwell Oklahoma