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Misidentified Raptor from the Galleries (1 Viewer)

It's actually one of those things that's hard to be really precise about, but the head looks completely wrong. The bill is proportionally too big and the head too small. Merlins would look much larger headed and smaller billed in comparison. There's maybe too much yellow on the bill as well. The picture below shows what I mean.
 

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Buteo for me as well.

general shape and size wise: the bird is too bulky, bill too heavy.

also the bird has a pale eye instead of dark. never seen any merlins with pale eyes. (though I stand to be corrected on that.)

There's a hint of a moustachial, but not sure it's well defined enough for a merlin either.

Can't confirm broad winged as I've seen that one only once in flight.

cheers,

Filip
 
There is a second picture of what I assume is the same bird in a different posture.

Does that shot shed any light? I for one am going for the "two-bird" theory!
 
In fairness having read the photographer's post below the photos he does accept that they were different birds but thought it was a pair.

I suspect the second may be a Merlin and the first a hawk of some descrption.
 
I think the "Another Merlin" photo in the gallery is probably a Merlin. I still maintain that the first photo is a Broad-winged Hawk.
 
Larry Lade said:
I think the "Another Merlin" photo in the gallery is probably a Merlin. I still maintain that the first photo is a Broad-winged Hawk.

Larry,
I agree about the two photos. The first is a Buteo. There are four from the genus that can range in Quebec, but the only one that sports this type of broad spaced ocellate belly markings is B. platypterus. This one would appear to be a sub-adult of indeterminate sex.
 
Andrew Whitehouse said:
It's actually one of those things that's hard to be really precise about, but the head looks completely wrong. The bill is proportionally too big and the head too small. Merlins would look much larger headed and smaller billed in comparison. There's maybe too much yellow on the bill as well. The picture below shows what I mean.

Thanks - I do see what you mean. It presumably would also help a great deal to have some sort of scale.
 
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