Hi Folks! I may just have to retract that report of Harris' Hawk...the bird had several features which do not seem to match...so maybe someone else has an idea. Ryan Lesh & I could only compare it to Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, and Bald Eagle...the only other "raptors" seen at the same time. (1) Shape when gliding: like a Red-shouldered Hawk and about the same size, perhaps marginally larger. Not short-tailed like a Red-tail or Broad-wing nor very long-tailed like a Harrier. Wings more or less rounded at tip....not pointed like Swainson's. Wings held flat.....not bowed like Red-shoulder often does and not with any dihedral ....wingtips in the same plane as the rest of the wing...no upturn like sometimes seen on Golden Eagle. (2) Tail: virtually identical to that illustrated for Harris' Hawks. Longish, white above and beloew, with a very broad subterminal black band and a narrow, but distinct white terminal band. Similar above and below. When strong sunlight passed throught the tail, there was a small hint of rufous in the edges of the tail. (3) Underside of head, throat, breast and the entire wing surface: Black. No white like TV or Black Vurlture or Rough-legged or Red-shouldered. Just plain black. (4) Upperside of wing: Secondaries and coverts deep gray; primaries with black. Pattern similar to that of an adult male Harier, but a deeper gray. (5) Behavior: The Turkey Vultures acted like they normarlly do in a migrating kettle... circle for a while, then break off into a shallow glide and reform into the kettle...rising slowly. This bird, when it broke from the kettle, went into a stoop between the kettle formations...that is...it moved from kettle to kettle by doing a high angle stoop and almost riding up from the stoop in the new kettle.....sort of like when my old car goes west...I speed down the hill to gain momentum which I lose rapidly when going up the next hill. I do not recall seeing the bird flap even once in 10-15 minutes of watching. Any ideas? Need more? No soft part colors seen. No rufous seen in upper on under wing coverts. Good Birding! Jim Jim Stasz North Beach MD jlstasz@aol.com