Remember my previous name that bird competition? Well, here's another one for you. Although this time it's non-sexist and we're talking about the winged variety of bird.
Can any of you name this bird:
I saw it in the garden last week and took this poor photo to see if dad knew what it was. He says not and suggests I ask you lot.
Written by Jake Howlett on Mon 30 Mar 2009
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Some sort of a dove, perhaps? It has that rounded body... but you have different birds than we do, so my experience is no guide.
Sean
Hmm, not sure it was a dove. Definitely seemed like a "bird of prey" to me.
Could it be a kestrel? Try the RSPB's Bird Identifier:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdidentifier/
If I answer all the questions on there it says Sparrowhawk:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/sparrowhawk/index.asp#
Which is what I first thought it was. It's just the white "spots" on its back which don't seem to belong to any picture I've seen of a Sparrowhawk.
I would definitely say a Sparrowhawk. Did you manage to see the eyes? A Sparrowhawk has really piercing eyes.
Also a kestrel is not likely to visit your garden whereas a Sparrowhawk is. Was there any feathers lying around? This is where the Sparrowhawk has plucked its kill.
Heres a picture of a sparrow hawk - matches yours I would say.
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_oAhlCXJR_cQ/Ra1aAtCgrhI/AAAAAAAAAaM/hH1Kt4pWCRM/s1600/LP-sparr-IMG_2267a.jpg
why did you assume it's a bird? looks like a dog to me =)
I reckon Steve has got it bang on. We are seeing a bit of a revival with these birds in my part of the world. It really pisses my Dad off as the Sparrowhawk seems to regard my Dad's Bird table as an "All you can eat buffet".
Agreed. Steve's picture is the first I've seen of a Sparrowhawk that actually looks like what I saw.
Didn't see any feathers though, so maybe no kill.
Thanks for the original "who's that bird link?", that brought back a lot of memories from our salad years.
Jake here is the answer :)))
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WNrx2jq184
It could be a thunderbird or something like that, no ?
http://www.mozilla-europe.org/en/
Couldn't find it in Olsen's Standard Book of British Birds, Jake -- but mine is, unfortunately for this exercise, the expurgated version. I don't like gannets.
I believe that may be a Coopers Hawk.