Species of Bird? Answered

Judging on your location and the time of year I think it is a Red-tailed Hawk instead of a rough-legged hawk. I live in north Florida and we get Red-tailed Hawks around our house quite a bit.

It is not a falcon for sure. I think it is a red-tailed hawk, but I can't rule out a rough-legged hawk without seeing more of the bird, particularly the wings and tail. It is definitely one or the other.

Here is a photo of a rough-legged hawk for reference:
http://www.nenature.com/RoughLeggedHawkPhoto.htm

Here is a photo of a red-tailed:
http://www.hangingrocktower.org/birds/red-tailschlenker1.htm

Spots and markings can vary among individual birds.

You can see how similar they look from this view.

i think its a red tail hawk

.. Have you gotten a positive ID yet?

Looks like a red-tailed hawk to me. Are the tail feathers a solid reddish-brown color? Also, check the wings in flight. If the feathers at the tips of the wings fan out, it's a hawk. If they taper back, it's a falcon. That's a beautiful picture, by the way. My uncle is a professional photographer, and his pictures of hawks and eagles look a lot like yours. Do we get to see any more?

Looks like a red tailed hawk

. Looks like a falcon or possibly a hawk to me. But I'm no ornithologist.

i think it might be a hawk