"Light morph's head head and back dark brown, breast and face reddish brown; belly barred reddish brown; undertail coverts whitish; bill black with yellow cere; eye pale orangish brown; wide pale central band on tail." (Donald & Lillian Stokes. The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, p. 166)

Its small size conforms to the 15" length reported for the Broad Winged hawk.

The absence of the "white mottling on scapulars, forming a rough V on the back" (The Stokes Field Guide to the Birds of North America, p. 175) that the Red Teiled Hawk has discounts that identification.

The single white band on the tail and short length of the tail plus the yellow cere and pale orangish brown eye color discounts the Red Shouldered Hawk.

Unlike the Red Tailed Hawk and the Red Shouldered Hawk, this bird was rather sanguine about my presence. It sat for ± 15 minutes while I photographed it.

"Common to abundant migrant throughout the eastern half of the state ... Typical migration dates are between mid-March and mid-May and from early September to mid-October." (Mark W. Lockwood & Brush Freeman. The TOS Handbook of Texas Birds, p. 46)

Photo taken with a Nikon D90 using a Nikon 400mm f/5.6.

March 29, 2013.