How do I find out what kind of bird I saw?

Question

There was a small hawk-like bird on my balcony. I took pictures of it, then looked it up in the Audubon bird book. It was probably closest to a merlin, but even that wasn't exact. It almost looked like a young bird. Is there somewhere I can look or send the picture to find out what it was?

I've posted two pictures of the bird on Panoramio, here:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3307495
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3307484

Answer 1

My best guess is that the bird is an immature sharp shinned hawk. It look to be small, between the size of a dove and a pigeon. It is definitely an immature bird. You are in the range of sharp shinneds and now would be the time to see immatures. Did you see the bird fly and did it have pointed or rounded wings? Pointed would be a pigeon hawk (merlin) and rounded would be a sharp shinned.

The more I look at the pictures I'm leaning towards a pigeon hawk (merlin) as the wings look long and that would indicate that they are pointed.

Answer 2

You could google the area you live in, and another key work like hawk then click at the top where is says pictures. The result will show all the bird photo's in your area that are hawks.

That's what I do.

=)

Answer 3

Send us the photo.

It may have been a young merlin. Was it sort of blue?

Answer 4

Yes, I think you are correct..it does look like a Merlin, probably a young one who does not have it's adult plumage yet.

Answer 5

It was a young male merlin.

Answer 6

You can look here:
http://www.whatbird.com/

By the way... Kestrels are similar to Merlins and have a very similar range, so that might have been what you saw.

Answer 7

just buy a bird book for ur local birds and match it up