-
Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.
Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
[Australia, Parry Lagoon] Hobby or ...? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter rafnuss
- Start date
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Looks like a Peregrine Falcon to me. The Australian subspecies has a more extensive dark hood that what we're used to in Europe.
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
A bit difficult from these photographs .....
Did you notice the collar extending up the side and around the back of the neck?
I don't think I see the bright yellow around the eye (might help to sharpen and clean the photo up a bit), beak, and legs of a peregrine ...... the wings look longish like a hobby, but the body looks fairly solid, and the black head and beak looks rather large (saying peregrine! ) ..... :cat:
I rarely see pergrines down low like this, though that doesn't mean too much, so not too sure, but overall I'm leaning more towards Australian Hobby? (female).
Some further interesting discussion of identifying differences between the two, and pictures here: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/Peregrine-or-hobby
Chosun :gh:
Did you notice the collar extending up the side and around the back of the neck?
I don't think I see the bright yellow around the eye (might help to sharpen and clean the photo up a bit), beak, and legs of a peregrine ...... the wings look longish like a hobby, but the body looks fairly solid, and the black head and beak looks rather large (saying peregrine! ) ..... :cat:
I rarely see pergrines down low like this, though that doesn't mean too much, so not too sure, but overall I'm leaning more towards Australian Hobby? (female).
Some further interesting discussion of identifying differences between the two, and pictures here: http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/Peregrine-or-hobby
Chosun :gh:
Last edited:
AlinoVegano
Well-known member
Peregrine, no hobby here.
Not sure I was clear, but this was taken in Australia, with an Australian Hobby, not the European.
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
Rafnuss,
Is it possible for you to process the 1st photo to enhance the image ? (for sharpness, colour saturation, and better clarity) ?
I can't really tell for sure the colour of the eye ring from the initial photo.
Without looking at photos, one of your best bets was your impression - an Australian Hobby will seem much lighter, and the wing beats seem sharper and higher frequency and tippy - like they are flicking the wingtips. The peregrine, even when fully powering on seems more effortless like a tractor beam is pulling it forward across the sky, even though the wing beats seem heavier. Of course both falcons do all manner of soaring, banking, and gliding behaviors too.
I will agree with others here that your bird does look quite solid and blocky. A female Australian Hobby is not that far behind (dimensional size-wise) a male peregrine falcon. The female Hobby is noticeably larger than the male Hobby, with relatively blockier and larger head, beak, and talons ..... though the female Hobby will still seem less 'stout' than the male peregrine. The male Hobby looks distinctly smaller and more lightweight than both, and the female peregrine noticeably blockier with relatively more massive beak, feet and talons than the male peregrine.
Peregrines I have seen (even down south east here) have one of two colour schemes - 1. The classic dark bluish black helmet, slate grey wing uppers, and cream or bone coloured torso front with bluish black horizontal barring. Eye ring, cere, legs, and feet are a bright yellow. 2. A second type has a matt black helmet, more dark browny-black slate wing uppers, and a rusty warm buffy cream torso front with black horizontal barring. Eye ring, cere, legs, and feet are an orangey yellow. Juveniles of both types have a more buff torso front with more motley barring, and bluish-grey eye ring and cere.
Australian Hobbys have a more dark bluish dark brown helmet, less defined, with a distinct buffish collar up the side and toward the back of the neck. The upper wings are more bluey slate, and the torso front more buff with vertical very dark brown streaking. Eye rings and ceres are bluish grey. Juveniles again are more buffy and mottled.
I am undecided on your bird - the helmet look very black and solid, and the beak large - indicating peregrine. If it is an Australian Hobby then I would say it is a female, and one that may have recently eaten (crop looks enlarged, and body full).
Perhaps a better processed photo may help us?
Chosun :gh:
Is it possible for you to process the 1st photo to enhance the image ? (for sharpness, colour saturation, and better clarity) ?
I can't really tell for sure the colour of the eye ring from the initial photo.
Without looking at photos, one of your best bets was your impression - an Australian Hobby will seem much lighter, and the wing beats seem sharper and higher frequency and tippy - like they are flicking the wingtips. The peregrine, even when fully powering on seems more effortless like a tractor beam is pulling it forward across the sky, even though the wing beats seem heavier. Of course both falcons do all manner of soaring, banking, and gliding behaviors too.
I will agree with others here that your bird does look quite solid and blocky. A female Australian Hobby is not that far behind (dimensional size-wise) a male peregrine falcon. The female Hobby is noticeably larger than the male Hobby, with relatively blockier and larger head, beak, and talons ..... though the female Hobby will still seem less 'stout' than the male peregrine. The male Hobby looks distinctly smaller and more lightweight than both, and the female peregrine noticeably blockier with relatively more massive beak, feet and talons than the male peregrine.
Peregrines I have seen (even down south east here) have one of two colour schemes - 1. The classic dark bluish black helmet, slate grey wing uppers, and cream or bone coloured torso front with bluish black horizontal barring. Eye ring, cere, legs, and feet are a bright yellow. 2. A second type has a matt black helmet, more dark browny-black slate wing uppers, and a rusty warm buffy cream torso front with black horizontal barring. Eye ring, cere, legs, and feet are an orangey yellow. Juveniles of both types have a more buff torso front with more motley barring, and bluish-grey eye ring and cere.
Australian Hobbys have a more dark bluish dark brown helmet, less defined, with a distinct buffish collar up the side and toward the back of the neck. The upper wings are more bluey slate, and the torso front more buff with vertical very dark brown streaking. Eye rings and ceres are bluish grey. Juveniles again are more buffy and mottled.
I am undecided on your bird - the helmet look very black and solid, and the beak large - indicating peregrine. If it is an Australian Hobby then I would say it is a female, and one that may have recently eaten (crop looks enlarged, and body full).
Perhaps a better processed photo may help us?
Chosun :gh:
Nutcracker
Stop Brexit!
Does this help at all?
Cropped the background and bumped up the brightness a bit; didn't sharpen at all (I find that tends to add artefacts and makes distinctions worse, not clearer).
Attachments
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
Peregrine for me too FWIW
A
A
Hi all,
Actually, I check with another bird I was with and they think that the bird of the picture was a different one than the Hobby. The Hobby was earlier (time) and closer but it seems that I didn't took a picture of it. This was probably not ID and I just took a photo of it.
Sorry all for this mix-up.
Thanks Chosun for the detail description and tips on ID. And thanks Nutcraker for the picture.
Cheers,
Actually, I check with another bird I was with and they think that the bird of the picture was a different one than the Hobby. The Hobby was earlier (time) and closer but it seems that I didn't took a picture of it. This was probably not ID and I just took a photo of it.
Sorry all for this mix-up.
Thanks Chosun for the detail description and tips on ID. And thanks Nutcraker for the picture.
Cheers,
Chosun Juan
Given to Fly
Yes, I think that does help, along with what Rafnuss added.
I still can't positively determine the eye ring colour - but it is high contrast. The body and underwing visible are quite brownish, though I still can't get past the large dark head with clean delineation of the helmet, large beak, and stout torso .....
Therefore I think it is most likely an immature Peregrine (male).
Chosun :gh:
Yes: my comments referred to Australian hobby (which I've seen)
