What’s this please? Bird in garden

[TTmonkey]

I think it’s a peregrine falcon, but I’m no expert lol so just not sure.

Not seen it in the garden before. It went into the hedge behind, I think to raid a pidgeon nest.

Thanks in advance.

[DoctorX]

Sparrowhawk?

[TTmonkey]

DoctorX said:

Sparrowhawk?

I thought it looked a bit big for one of those

[popeyewhite]

Don't know, but if I was a pigeon I'd steer well clear. Murderous looking raptor.

[Fastchas]

TTmonkey said:

I think it’s a peregrine falcon, but I’m no expert lol so just not sure.

Not seen it in the garden before. It went into the hedge behind, I think to raid a pidgeon nest.

Thanks in advance.

It is definitely not a peregrine. We have some on a water tower by us and they have dark blue, almost black backs. Also, peregrine tend to take prey on the wing, almost entirely pigeons.
With the yellow eye, I would agree, it is a sparrowhawk, which aren't small birds.

[Evoluzione]

If it's got a stripy chest it's a Sparrow hawk, probably a female.

[Fastchas]

Photo of peregrine for reference

[Evoluzione]

Fastchas said:

Photo of peregrine for reference

That isn't a good comparison as it's facing the opposite way to the OPs pic. You need to find a rear view.

[Silvanus]

It is a female sparrowhawk

[TTmonkey]

Thanks defo a sparrow hawk. I thought they were smaller. (Not sparrow sized though!). Googled them and there are pictures of ones facing away so yes looks the same. Very distinctive eyes too.

Fascinating to see one in the garden like that.


Assume a SH wouldn’t be able to take a pidgeon, so must have been after the chicks I guess. Place is infested with flappy bloody wood pigeons, they send the dogs mental. My god the pidgins are always shagging away too…..

[otolith]

I've seen sparrowhawks kill pigeons.

[Mezzanine]

Sparrowhawks will absolutely take a fully grown pigeon without much fuss.

[liner33]

Mezzanine said:

Sparrowhawks will absolutely take a fully grown pigeon without much fuss.

Yep they do quite often in my garden , whatever is leftover is taken away by the kites and all that remains is a pathetic ring of feathers

The world has enough pigeons though

[mrsshpub]

Silvanus said:

It is a female sparrowhawk

Agreed. Female sparrowhawks are significantly bigger than males.

[isaldiri]

Mezzanine said:

Sparrowhawks will absolutely take a fully grown pigeon without much fuss.

a female sparrowhawk will take a woodpigeon but it can get a little bit messy and not quite without much fuss as woodpigeons are pretty sizeable relative to even a female and hawks (well technically accipiters) kill by foot strength rather than the way a falcon for example would with a neck bite.

[Buzz84]

Evoluzione said:

Fastchas said:

Photo of peregrine for reference

That isn't a good comparison as it's facing the opposite way to the OPs pic. You need to find a rear view.

That any better?

[Boosted LS1]

^ I thought the talons did the business and the beak is used just for plucking. Is there a reference somewhere to 'neck biting' that I could look at as it sounds interesting.

[LordHaveMurci]

Evoluzione said:

That isn't a good comparison as it's facing the opposite way to the OPs pic. You need to find a rear view.

I Googled good looking bird, rear view

Am I doing this right?

[TTmonkey]

LordHaveMurci said:

Evoluzione said:

That isn't a good comparison as it's facing the opposite way to the OPs pic. You need to find a rear view.

I Googled good looking bird, rear view

Am I doing this right?

Me too…

[LordHaveMurci]

TTmonkey said:

Me too…

Yay, I finally got something right