16 replies to this topic

[phiwang94]

Heard a thump outside my window and saw this blue bird had caught a smaller black bird

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[Totah Sam]

Peregrine Falcon? It's so blurry. Where was the pic taken?

[ShebaL]

American Kestrel

[Totah Sam]

American Kestrel

Yay!

[Kryptos18]

It's a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk. Range could help on this one.

[Totah Sam]

My educated guesses are not so educated. LOL

[JimBob]

It's a Cooper's Hawk or Sharp-shinned Hawk. Range could help on this one.

Agree.

[birdbrain22]

This site is certainly not what it was in the past... and I miss that.

This is clearly either a Sharp-shinned or Copper's as stated.

[Liam]

I agree with Accipiter, I'd guess Cooper's.

[BarnSwallow]

Cooper's was my first guess, too. Looks like a distinct cap. It would be highly unlikely that a peregrine would be in a wooded residential area. Kestrels are much smaller, and rarely take birds - they stick to small rodents and large insects, usually.

[Liam]

Cooper's was my first guess, too. Looks like a distinct cap. It would be highly unlikely that a peregrine would be in a wooded residential area. Kestrels are much smaller, and rarely take birds - they stick to small rodents and large insects, usually.

Highly unlikely a Kestrel would be in a wooded residential area as well. But yes, that cap was what lead me towards Cooper's.

[Totah Sam]

This site is certainly not what it was in the past... and I miss that.

This is clearly either a Sharp-shinned or Copper's as stated.

I apologize if I have offended anyone. I'm new at this so maybe I should keep my guesses to myself. Sorry about that folks.

[phiwang94]

Thanks guys. I live in a residential area in Wisconsin if that helps. I am a high schooler who is just getting interested in ornithology, and will be attending university of Wisconsin Madison next year. Anyone have any tips on gettin started? There are just so many beautiful and diverse birds in the woody area by my house.

[creeker]

I apologize if I have offended anyone. I'm new at this so maybe I should keep my guesses to myself. Sorry about that folks.

No need to apologize. This is how you learn. If you don't swing for the fence, you'll never hit that home run. Just don't feel bad when someone makes a catch just before it goes over. We have all mis-ID'd birds on here. I'm sure you learned a few things from this thread that you would not have otherwise. Funny story you may appreciate, Sam. I consider myself pretty good with Cooper's Hawk ID's. I had one as a falconry bird for three years, and have cared for many in rehab situations. Not to mention I see them almost daily, just when I'm driving to work, or running around town. I was driving down the freeway one day, and I say to my wife (a non-birder,) "Look, there's a Cooper's Hawk circling there in the distance." My wife says " You sure? Looks more like a Mourning Dove to me." I looked a little closer and she was right. Quite embarassing.

[BarnSwallow]

As you become a more experienced birder, you'll learn not to guess, but to use all the available clues to determine what a species is. Field marks are one part of the equation. Often, color and size - the two most common ways a beginner tries to ID a bird - are misleading. The other field marks - tail length and markings, wing length, head shape, bill type, etc - are better field marks.

Just as important as the bird itself is the habitat and behavior. My brother tried to convince me that he saw a flock of kestrels on a rock in the river. Doesn't matter what the birds looked like - kestrels never gather in flocks, and won't be sitting on rocks in the river. If I'm driving down the road and see a buteo sitting on a wire, I can determine that it's 99% likely that it's a red-shouldered, before I can see any color or markings. I've never seen a red-tailed sitting on a normal-sized electric wire.

Learn to use all the clues available, though once in a blue moon, you'll see a bird doing what it's not "supposed" to be doing, or in a place it isn't supposed to be.

[Totah Sam]

Thanks

[BarnSwallow]

Oh, I should mention - if you do want to take a guess, or a stab in the dark, it's best to mention that. Something like "I'm just guessing, but could it be a ....?" That way the OP knows to wait for some confirmations. I've seen a new poster post an unknown bird for ID, someone states unequivocally that "This is a ......" and the OP will say "Great! Thanks!" and never come back to see if it's confirmed. They'll be more likely to check back for updates if you mention that you're really not sure - I've done this plenty of times!