What bird is this?

[Webmonkeyuk]

Just visited my garden this morning its the first time ive seen one of these and i havent a clue what it is

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/webmonkeyuk/General%20photos/Picture008.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v445/webmonkeyuk/General%20photos/Picture006.jpg

[V6GTO]

Which country/area?

Martin.

[D Boone]

Looks like some sort of Kestrel or falcon? I had to look up a bird I shot yesterday... Where was it taken?

[jaypie77]

Sharp-shinned hawk!

[Webmonkeyuk]

Taken in the UK north eastern area

[jimtfoto]

Looks like a sharpie all right ...

cheers,
jim

[stoneylonesome]

I'd have to go with the sharped shinned hawk. nice shot.

[Dandaman_24]

Its a Sparrow Hawk

[EoSD30fReAk]

i agree on the sharped shinned hawk.

[tupe]

Hard to say when all we can see is his feet....

[Dandaman_24]

?

[CyberDyneSystems]

I don't know if they look very different in the UK,. but it doesn't look like either a Sparrow Hawk or a Sharp shinned to me...

I'm stumped.

[stoneylonesome]

Might just be the sparrow hawk
http://www.birdsofbritain.co.uk/bird-guide/sparrowhawk.htm

or maybe even a coopers or sharp shinned hawk
http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterIDtable.htm

a little tough to tell what out knowing the size

[CyberDyneSystems]

Both the Sharpies and Coopers Hawks I've seen had Red eyes,.. I don't know if this varies,. also they both have the reddish brown bars across the chest and belly, this fellow looks white and black on chest with only those rusty side burns.

The Sparrow Hawk is positively tiny... and has he very falconlike "cheeckbones/teardrops", which this raptor in the photo lacks...

A conundrum ???

[tupe]

Hard to say when all we can see is his feet....
?

How can you see its shins?8-)

[jimtfoto]

Check this web site ... click on the link to sharp-shinned hawk ... note similarities.
http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/pages/reports/general_birds.htm
cheers,
jim

[CyberDyneSystems]

Check this web site ... click on the link to sharp-shinned hawk ... note similarities.
http://www.coffeecreekwc.org/pages/reports/general_birds.htm
cheers,
jim

I agree,. very similar,. but note red eyes and reddish brown front/chest.

these differences between the bird above leaves me wondering. ???

On the other hand, there certainly are color differnces in Raptors,. both regional and time of year etc...

It's the eyes that really get me.

[V6GTO]

Guys,
There are NO Sharpies in the UK...only Sparrowhawks.

Martin.

[tupe]

Okay, I was punning (badly) before, but I did find this pic of a sharp-shinned that could be this guy's brother:

http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/Accounts/images/ID_images/shshaw-erion.jpg

from http://birds.cornell.edu/pfw/AboutBirdsandFeeding/accipiterphoto.htm

[CyberDyneSystems]

Thanks Martin,. I don't have any books that focus on Europe's Raptors.

[tupe]

Martin must be right - here's another brother:

http://freespace.virgin.net/tom.hubball/Sparrowhawk.jpg

[CyberDyneSystems]

Well there you go!,. yellow eyes, and less reddish brown on the chest,. certainly the sort of variaton we see commonly amongst raptors...

The face and cheeks are pretty much exact!

Now .. this photo looks very differnet from the "sparrow hawks" I have seen,. but again,. we have regional differences.. christ in the UK they call hawks "buzzards" :lol:

Anyway,. I think the mystery is solved!

[Ed Rotberg]

I thought for a moment it might be a Gyrfalcon, but the beak and the eye are wrong. Given the yellow eye, it pretty much has to be a Eurasian Sparrowhawk.

= Ed =

[Dandaman_24]

I told you all it was a sparrow hawk ! LOL