Ferruginous hawks are some of my favorite buteos but the dark morph variety, well, they are just a bit more special than the more common plumage type. When at rest, they are a chocolate brown and that bright, yellow “joker” mouth really stands out and they look beautiful. But, when they take flight, they up their game with some of the most beautiful underwing plumage you have seen. When I spotted this one Saturday, I made sure to give it my utmost attention and it rewarded me with a fantastic launch and look at its underside.
