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Unidentified Hawk at bird feeders

Started by kshaun, Jul 31 2012 05:05 AM

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6 replies to this topic

#1 kshaun

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 05:05 AM

Greetings, I live in Stillwater, Oklahoma and this hungry hawk/falcon visited the bird feeders today. We have had Cooper's and Sharp Shinned Hawks before but we were having trouble identifying this one. We have a guess but the type would be way out of it's range for this time of year. Can anyone help out please? I would appreciate it.

We live close to a wooded creek and a small urban lake/pond. Stillwater is not large and you can get into the country side easily within 5-10 minutes. We have prarie farmland close by and many small ponds and lakes. There was a big fire that burned 700 acres east of town today. Surely it was not visiting just because it was driven out of its area?

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#2 Paruula

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 05:39 AM

Looks like a young Mississippi Kite. Cool find, and excellent picture!

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#3 fisherman1313

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 05:41 AM

This is a male richardsonii Merlin.

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#4 creeker

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 06:01 AM

I agree with young Mississippi Kite. Could have easily been displaced by that fire.

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#5 psweet

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 12:50 PM

While this guy may have been displaced, Mississippi Kites on the plains typically nest in city parks, etc, and they've become quite common in small towns. (The last time I drove across Kansas, all I had to do to see one was look up every time I stopped at a light.) Like many hawks, they are actually attracted to fires as easy places to find prey, so he may have been coming in for dinner.

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#6 TheBillyPilgrim

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 01:25 PM

Wonderful shot! I've never seen a young kite that close before (they're always circling far overhead).

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#7 kshaun

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Posted 31 July 2012 - 01:33 PM

Young Mississippi Kite makes sense. Why I didn't even think of that dumbfounds me. There is a tree with a Kite nest two houses down. They fly around our neighborhood but I never bothered to look at a photo of one. And as others have said I have never seen one on the ground either.

Thanks for all your help. It definetely resembles what I am seeing online for juvenile Mississippi Kite.