Bird Identification Help?

Dicky (Angling Trust PAC) · Sep 25, 2010

I was walking in to town from my house near the Severn when I came across this sad sight...

http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/members/****y-angling-trust-pac--albums-other-stuff-picture2216-bird.jpg

Is this a sparrowhawk (which would be very sad but they are quite common round here) or have we just lost one of our very few and precious peregrines of breeding age?

I can distinguish the species in flight, but not dead.

The rusty colour on the breast suggests peregrine to me(not the leaf!)?

alan whittington · Sep 25, 2010

Very hard to tell in flash photography and as you say its easier when their on the wing.

Jeff Woodhouse · Sep 25, 2010

First looks, it appears to be a juvenile sparrowhawk. Head colours look that way anyway.

Any possibly explanation as to the cause of its death, wounds or any high wires/obstruction it could have flown into?

Dicky (Angling Trust PAC) · Sep 25, 2010

Jeff Woody said:
First looks, it appears to be a juvenile sparrowhawk. Head colours look that way anyway.

Any possibly explanation as to the cause of its death, wounds or any high wires/obstruction it could have flown into?

It was an odd situation Woody,

I found a dead pigeon 100 yards down the road with classic raptor wounds...

I suspect hawk hit pigeon out of sky, was returnng to food when it got hit by a car...

Jeff Woodhouse · Sep 25, 2010

That'll do it every time! Perhaps down to inexperience.

I often worry when I see the kites feasting on some road kill, but they somehow realise the approaching danger and clear off.

Tee-Cee · Sep 26, 2010

I think this is Sparrowhawk from what I see in my garden....but very unusual for them to be hit by a car although they do fly so fast when chasing prey and(seem)to become so fixated on the job in hand they can hit objects..

They come into my garden and thrash around the bushes trying to force small birds from cover and sometimes I'm amazed they don't injure themselves more often!
I've had my local hawk(a family friend we call Harry)chase a blackbird with both ending up crashing into a window-the blackbird died but the hawk swooped back and fed on the carcass...

Next door they have a large open garden and I've seen a S'hawk hit a pidgeon as it took off-just ended up with a massive shower of feathers!!

(ps-don't take my word for it being a S'hawk-its just my opinion)

The Monk · Sep 26, 2010

Yep Sparrow Hawk, a deceased one

Tee-Cee · Sep 26, 2010

Just checked my birdie book and it seems the Perigrine has a white throat-even the juveniles-so Sparrowhawk looks the most likely....

..very sad to see one in this state though...

The Monk · Sep 26, 2010

yes its sad to see one like this, fortunately the Sparrow hawk is one of our commonist BOP. I once found a dead Hobby, much rarer sadly

alan whittington · Sep 26, 2010

Jeff Woody said:
That'll do it every time! Perhaps down to inexperience.

I often worry when I see the kites feasting on some road kill, but they somehow realise the approaching danger and clear off.

Jeff,my mate had to stop the car a week ago,a kite had swooped down to pick a rabbit carcass off of the road directly in front of us whilst on our way fishing,lovely view of it though.

dezza · Sep 26, 2010

According to my book, which I got from The Monk, the bird is a sparrow hawk.

I was watching one the other day as it hovered next to my secret lake. Then a rat appeared and the sparrow hawk nailed it.

I cheered.

The Monk · Sep 26, 2010

Ron when we went down to Graham bash do you remember the hawk we parked next too in the town centre at Knutsford, that was a Sparrow hawk, I`m amazed we got so close while in the car

dezza · Sep 26, 2010

I haven't forgotten mate.

Sparrow hawks are marvellous birds. I believe they are going to clone a Sparrow Hawk with a Cape Vulture that will only eat otters, mink and cormorants.

BarryC · Sep 26, 2010

I wonder how many people on the RSPB forum would be concerned over a dead fish they had found.

The Monk · Sep 26, 2010

Only the ones who go fishing like us

Wobbly Face (As Per Ed) · Sep 26, 2010

Just got back from Harewood House, whilst sat in traffic on leaving, pair of Red Kites were on the wing. Only ever seen them in Wales before. In days gone by, they used to be quite urban.

Tee-Cee · Sep 26, 2010

I live fairly near to Hambleden Village close to Henley in South Bucks and the Red Kites,over the last 10 years or so,have reproduced at a incredible rate...in fact wherever you go in this area Kites seem to be overhead-either them or the other bird of prey,the Buzzard.
Last year I counted more than 20 kites just following a tractor ploughing a field close to this village which because of the very quiet Hambleden Estate(ex W H Smiths property)which covers hundreds of acres of woodland and open fields they can nest without fear of disturbance.
When they were reintroduced some years ago the area around Stokenchurch and towards Oxford(along the M40 corridor)was used as a release site and i guess they have just spread from this area.....

Just lovely to see them in numbers and hear that haunting call as they swoop around these hills.........a fantastic success story when many species are under threat...

Jeff Woodhouse · Sep 26, 2010

alan whittington said:
Jeff,my mate had to stop the car a week ago,a kite had swooped down to pick a rabbit carcass off of the road directly in front of us

Not quite so easy to stop a 25ft 4½ tonne bus with elderly and and special needs in wheelchairs on board. You see them as you go around a bend, lift your foot off the gas and just pray they get out before you hit them. So far, so good!

Only had one bird hit the side of the bus once, but no idea what it was. Small one though, you'd know if it was a kite!

alan whittington · Sep 26, 2010

Too right Jeff,although they weigh little more than a few pounds,i saw one yesterday flying over Whipsnade zoo.

Dicky (Angling Trust PAC) · Sep 26, 2010

Thanks for the responses chaps.

It was obviously very sad to see such an amazing creature dead, but I am relieved it's not one of my town's rare peregrines.

Kites are amazing creatures.

I was in India about ten years back and came across a clearing in a coconut plantation where a very dopey dog was lying down and being used as diving target practice for the local brahmini and pariah kites...

'Stupid animal!' I thought as I walked by watching the lazy hound barely stir from the overhead barrage...

Until a kite whipped past my head like a Ferrari, feathers brushing against my face, and then for good measure popping my ear with a powerful downstroke of the wing... AMAZING!

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