HOME | DD

Description
Raptor/hawk head at different angles. These are all the same Red-tailed Hawk, but he molted from juvenile to adult plumage while I was collecting these pictures so there is color variation to the feathers; the lighting also changed day-to-day. This bird is not a falconry bird, but rather a permanent resident at a raptor rehabilitation center. He came in from the wild with a badly-healed coracoid break and cannot fly very well. His upper beak is over-long, so keep that in mind if you're trying to draw a realistic, natural raptor. I hope this makes a decent reference for people drawing birds of prey, gryphons, etc. Feel free to download for personal use. Not for photo-manipulation. If anyone is interested in a similar thing with owls, kestrels, another species of hawk, raptor feet, etc let me know.

Great-horned Owl: [link]
Barn Owl: [link]
Turkey Vulture: [link]
Golden Eagle: [link]
American Kestrel: [link]
Burrowing Owl: [link]
Icterid (Brewer's Blackbird): [link]
Raptor feet: [link]

10/26: Wow, the daily deviation was a surprise! I'm glad this is turning out useful for so many people. My gallery has a lot of other bird of prey photos that I usually allow people to use for reference if they ask first and credit back to the original, so feel free to take a look.

My model:

Description
Raptor/hawk head at different angles. These are all the same Red-tailed Hawk, but he molted from juvenile to adult plumage while I was collecting these pictures so there is color variation to the feathers; the lighting also changed day-to-day. This bird is not a falconry bird, but rather a permanent resident at a raptor rehabilitation center. He came in from the wild with a badly-healed coracoid break and cannot fly very well. His upper beak is over-long, so keep that in mind if you're trying to draw a realistic, natural raptor. I hope this makes a decent reference for people drawing birds of prey, gryphons, etc. Feel free to download for personal use. Not for photo-manipulation. If anyone is interested in a similar thing with owls, kestrels, another species of hawk, raptor feet, etc let me know.

Great-horned Owl: [link]
Barn Owl: [link]
Turkey Vulture: [link]
Golden Eagle: [link]
American Kestrel: [link]
Burrowing Owl: [link]
Icterid (Brewer's Blackbird): [link]
Raptor feet: [link]

10/26: Wow, the daily deviation was a surprise! I'm glad this is turning out useful for so many people. My gallery has a lot of other bird of prey photos that I usually allow people to use for reference if they ask first and credit back to the original, so feel free to take a look.

My model: