This guy did a fly-by this morning. By shape & coloring, assuming it's a Peregrine Falcon.
Pic & video (at 1/2 speed) below.
View attachment falcon.mp4
Pic & video (at 1/2 speed) below.
View attachment falcon.mp4
Peregrine Falcon
- Thread starter DsineR
- Start date
Ssayer
BIT Beta Team
Further inquires peg it as a Red Shoulder Hawk.
The young ones have almost no red on the shoulders, the color increases with age.
This one has some red, indicating on his way to mature.
Hawks are usually larger then Falcons. Falcons have a notch on the beak, Hawks have a simple curve.
The young ones have almost no red on the shoulders, the color increases with age.
This one has some red, indicating on his way to mature.
Hawks are usually larger then Falcons. Falcons have a notch on the beak, Hawks have a simple curve.
the difference between the too. is hawks have a broader wing. and are a bit slower than falcons and mainly hunt for prey in the woods.. a falcon as a slimmer pointed wing and are very fast open area hunters ,
Photo of a Cooper's Hawk I took in my backyard when I lived in TX. 
I think it was a baby martin. You can see one of the parents behind him in pursuit and attacking.
Last edited:
smoothie
Pulling my weight
- Dec 19, 2015
- 199
- 177
Wing shape is an excellent way to differentiate raptors. Hawks and Eagles are passive soaring winged raptors while falcons are high speed winged raptors.
Passive Soaring Winged raptors tend to flap their wings as little as possible, they utilize "thermals" to stay aloft and conserve energy for prolonged flight and greater range.
High Speed Winged raptors flap their wings very frequently except when diving. Their flight speed can be very fast but at the cost of greater and more frequent energy consumption. The Peregrine Falcon, a high speed winged raptor, can reach speeds in excess of 200 mph (320 kph) when diving.
Here is a PDF from Cornell University dept of Ornithology on different wing types:
Here is a nice little infographic on the basic wing shapes and their characteristics and feather types:
I see your location is listed as CA which I assume to mean California but it could also be Canada. This website has a great listing of birds seen in Southern California and so might be applicable if I guessed the right interpretation of "CA".
SFV Backyard Bird Identification - San Fernando Valley Audubon Society
Grab any pair of binoculars and head out to your backyard or a nearby park. These birds are common in the San Fernando Valley. If you’re new to birding and →
www.sfvaudubon.org
@smoothie, Thanks for the info (lessons) about raptors.
I was similarly confused between ravens and crows, but I learned how to distinguish them. They look similar when not in flight. But when flying, ravens are bigger and glide, where as crows are smaller and flap their wings more rapidly. The shape of their tails in flight are also different.
BTW, there's a pair of raptors where I live. Now, I know that they are hawks.
I was similarly confused between ravens and crows, but I learned how to distinguish them. They look similar when not in flight. But when flying, ravens are bigger and glide, where as crows are smaller and flap their wings more rapidly. The shape of their tails in flight are also different.
BTW, there's a pair of raptors where I live. Now, I know that they are hawks.