a falcon the size of a Prairie Falcon killed a bird in my backyard...i got a really good look at it, but I'm confused as to species. I thought at first it was a Prairie Falcon, but it's chest and belly is much browner than what I usually see on the power lines mostly light brown, but some speckled white)...it's very dark gray on top, even on his head like a cap. 25-50% bigger than a morning dove. Maybe I just never looked at them that close before...it's still out there eating a finch...guess I need to adjust my blame on the neighbors cat eating birds at my feeder.
2006-10-19 10:41:53 · 4 answers · asked by Ford Prefect 7 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
either a merlin or prairie falcon...colors odd though
2006-10-19 13:23:05 · update #1
Are you sure it's a falcon? Could be a Sharp-shinned Hawk.
2006-10-20 08:59:38 · answer #1 · answered by Strix 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It might be a Peregrine Falcon. Check out the link below and quote from that site:
"Prairie and Peregrine Falcons are similar in size and can be distinguished from each other by color. The Prairie Falcon is brown and has dark “armpits” or dark patches under the wings, while the Peregrine is blue-gray and has a uniform underwing color pattern."
2006-10-19 10:55:12 · answer #2 · answered by harleyhon444 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would agree that is sounds like a Peregrine Falcon. Merlins are pretty small in comparison even to a Prairie Falcon, so if it was similar in size to it, it sounds like a Peregrine.
2006-10-19 14:44:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It could very well be a peregrine falcon. It could also be a merlin, sometimes also called a pigeon hawk.
Here's a page with pictures of all of them. http://www.tsuru-bird.net/raptors/index.html
They're on about the fourth or fifth row down. Not great pictures, but they might give you some sort of comparison basis.
2006-10-19 12:07:53 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋