![]() In June in Pittsburgh juvenile peregrines leave the nest and learn to fly. Silhouette of Buteo (hawk), Accipiter(hawk) and Falcon (from NPS.gov. When it’s flying, does it have “fingers” on the tips of its wings?ĭid you see it flying? Hawks (and eagles and vultures) have “fingers” on the tips of their wings. Peregrines have malar stripes red-tailed hawks do not. Their heads are dark gray and their faces are white with dark gray sideburns called malar stripes. Their backs, wings and heads are charcoal gray, their chests are white and their bellies and legs are heavily striped (horizontally) with dark gray. Adult peregrines are charcoal gray and white. ![]() Juveniles have brown tails with horizontal stripes.Īdult peregrines are smaller than red-tailed hawks, about the size of a crow but bulkier. Only adult red-tailed hawks have rusty red tails. They have brown hash mark stripes on their bellies (low, between their legs). Their throats are white but their faces are brown all the way to their shoulders. They are white on their chests and speckled brown on their heads, faces, wings and backs. It’s what keeps them coming back, season after season. And don’t worry, even the experts get fooled. Kestrels float when they glide the heavier Merlins sink. Peregrine Falcons, on the other hand, have shallow, elastic wing beats-you can practically see the motion rippling down the falcon’s long and tapered wings.Īs the bird approaches, make sure to test your hypothesis other clues will become more obvious as the distance closes. ![]() The American Kestrel’s flight is batty and flat, for example, while the Merlin’s wing beats are fast, powerful, and piston-like. Manner of flight can also be a defining feature. For instance, the signature double ‘stache on an American Kestrel’s face may not be so obvious, so rely on its overall paleness to help distinguish it from the slightly larger and darker female and juvenile Merlin. ![]() Look for specific features-though fine distinctions in plumage might still be hard to pin down. Once you’ve sorted your groups, it’s time to narrow down the candidate species.
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