need help

[ZombiesniperJr]

need help is this a merlin or a perigine falcon please help
1perigine falcon2 by Logan Baldwin, on Flickr
2perigine falcon by Logan Baldwin, on Flickr

 

[zombiesniper149 14]

Looks like you have a very nice shot of a Merlin there bud. Perigine falcon won't have any yellow around the beak.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Looks like you have a very nice shot of a Merlin there bud. Perigine falcon won't have any yellow around the beak.

Thanks

 

[Achaicus]

That is not a merlin or peregrine, that is a prairie falcon. Merlin and Peregrine are gray to black or gray on the wings not brown.

 

[zombiesniper149 14]

That is not a merlin or peregrine, that is a prairie falcon. Merlin and Peregrine are gray to black or gray on the wings not brown.

Females in our area have brown wings.
Prairie falcons tend not to make it this far into Ontario.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

That is not a merlin or peregrine, that is a prairie falcon. Merlin and Peregrine are gray to black or gray on the wings not brown.

The falcon in my shots have black and white bands on there tales prarie falcons dont have them

 

[coastalconn]

My vote is Taiga Merlin

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

My vote is Taiga Merlin

Im pretty sure it is a merlin

 

[Achaicus]

Size might be telling, was smaller than a Rock Dove? close to Kestrel size? Then merlin is that size: length 10 inches, 24 inch wingspan. If it is nearly equal to a Peregrine for size that would be Prairie falcon: length 16 inches and 40 inch wingspan. That is significant enough difference to be noticeable, but hard to tell in photographs.

I didn't know location when I guessed that about the pale bird. Range is part of making an educated guess as to what something is.

 

[dxqcanada3 3]

I think Coastal is correct, based on Google ... Peregrine's have major sideburns ... and the Taiga subspecies is found in Ontario.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

Size might be telling, was smaller than a Rock Dove? close to Kestrel size? Then merlin is that size: length 10 inches, 24 inch wingspan. If it is nearly equal to a Peregrine for size that would be Prairie falcon: length 16 inches and 40 inch wingspan. That is significant enough difference to be noticeable, but hard to tell in photographs.

I didn't know location when I guessed that about the pale bird. Range is part of making an educated guess as to what something is.

Bigger then a rock dove looks to be a merlin there is two and it has black and white stripes on its tail

I think Coastal is correct, based on Google ... Peregrine's have major sideburns ... and the Taiga subspecies is found in Ontario.

so do i

 

[Achaicus]

But Merlin are smaller than a Rock Dove. Just because something has not historically been in your area does not mean the range is not expanding. Especially since my dad thought the perched bird looked like a male juvenile Prairie Falcon after consulting Sibley's, both editions of Peterson's and Stokes's bird guides. The tail banding is confusing but size indicates something bigger than Merlin.

They are unusual either way.

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

But Merlin are smaller than a Rock Dove. Just because something has not historically been in your area does not mean the range is not expanding. Especially since my dad thought the perched bird looked like a male juvenile Prairie Falcon after consulting Sibley's, both editions of Peterson's and Stokes's bird guides. The tail banding is confusing but size indicates something bigger than Merlin.

They are unusual either way.

could it be a crossbread of the two it has been calling alot

 

[ZombiesniperJr]

But Merlin are smaller than a Rock Dove. Just because something has not historically been in your area does not mean the range is not expanding. Especially since my dad thought the perched bird looked like a male juvenile Prairie Falcon after consulting Sibley's, both editions of Peterson's and Stokes's bird guides. The tail banding is confusing but size indicates something bigger than Merlin.

They are unusual either way.

do Prairie Falcons eat mice because one of them had a mouse in its beak while it flu over me

 

[Achaicus]

My book states Prairie falcons eat birds and small mammals. So that would be normal food for them. Merlin are more bird and flying insect eaters and don't tend to go after non flying prey.

As to whether it is cross bred, that I can't say. It may be or it could be variation due to the expansion into less arid territory. Prairie falcons are known to be widely vagrant, as far east as massachusets for example, when their usual territory is west of the rockies and extends to the high plains for wintering. You aren't that far out of their marked breeding territory so it is possible you have seen a pair exploring for new territory. Remains to be seen whether they will be successful or if it will be a failed expansion of the breeding area.