[geehed4u]

I wonder if anyone can help ID this bird of prey. I havent seen it myself but it was described to me as being larger than a sparrow hawk. It apparently circles in the thermals and takes birds on the ground, some as big as pigeons and when it takes a bird it sort of hides the prey with its wings. This has been seen in a park in Hull. Its probably a quite common bird but as I say I'm working on a descrition.
Brian

[fugl]

Common Buzzard? Many species of birds of prey cover their prey with their wings while feeding--it's called "mantling".

[DaveN]

Could well be a Common Buzzard as Fugl states.

[geehed4u]

Originally Posted by fugl

Common Buzzard? Many species of birds of prey cover their prey with their wings while feeding--it's called "mantling".

Thanks Fugl and DaveN for taking the time to respond I'm sure youre right about it being a common Buzzard, I'll pass the information on and try to see it for myself.
Thanks again
Brian

[James Thomas]

Could also be a large female sparrowhawk or a peregrine. Any colour details?

[Ranger James]

My initial response was female sparrowhawk. Sounds good for hunting technique.

[Keith Dickinson]

I'd favour female sparrowhawk myself, I'd be most surprised at buzzard turning up in a park in a town centre even in the current inclement weather. Peregrine wouldn't take prey on the ground.... or would it?

[DaveN]

Peregrines will take Mammals and will eat carrion in extreme weather.

[James Thomas]

Originally Posted by Keith Dickinson

I'd favour female sparrowhawk myself, I'd be most surprised at buzzard turning up in a park in a town centre even in the current inclement weather. Peregrine wouldn't take prey on the ground.... or would it?

Think it depends on what is meant by on the ground. If it means catching a bird shortly after it being out to flight then I wouldn't see why not.

I think we can expect to see some strange (adaptive?) behaviour in this cold snap. I've seen many more buzzards in the last week than I would normally expect, a good number of these just sat in trees by the roadside.

So any BOP is surley going to take what it can at the moment? I'd favour female sparrowhawk though.

[Matt Prince]

The local peregrines in Exeter are occasionally seen on the ground with prey items. I've even seen a young one that thought it was a sparrowhawk - sat on a branch in the park outside my house. Buzzards fly over occasionally but I wouldn't expect one to take prey in town. Sparrowhawks are the commonest BoP i've seen in town - mantling on prey - usually giving me the evil eye as they pluck an unlucky pigeon.

[skatebirder]

Has anyone seen a Common Buzzard catching a Pigeon? They seem to eat worms around here! We have both Common Buzzards and Sparrowhawks quite often in Southampton (I saw both flying over the office at lunchtime today - we are in a suburban area, only a couple of miles from the city centre).

[ANdy5551]

never seen a buzzard in this park. There is a large female Sprawk resident there, she nested in the trees on the Island near Jimmy Reckitts Ave in the summer and she is quite a hefty bird.

[Daniel Martin]

Would be amazed if this isnt anything other than a female Sparrowhawk, mantling prey that size in regular fashion. No mention of size difference between male and female here, and if one is more familiar with a male taking small garden birds, then yes a female will come as a surprise out in the open as it takes a pigeon sized bird.
"Pigeon sized" could prob be a feral pigeon also, rather than the heftier Woodpigeon. A female Sprawk had a go at a Woodpigeon on our bird table recently and didnt manage to over power it completely.
Peregrine not impossible; Buzzard unlikely.

[dantheman]

Originally Posted by Matt Prince

I've even seen a young one that thought it was a sparrowhawk - sat on a branch in the park outside my house.

Probably just an Eleonora's ...

[nirofo]

Buzzards are not well known for taking birds on the ground or elsewhere, they're not usually fast enough, sounds more like the sort of thing a Goshawk or a female Sparrowhawk would do.

nirofo.

[Ranger James]

Originally Posted by nirofo

Buzzards are not well known for taking birds on the ground or elsewhere, they're not usually fast enough, sounds more like the sort of thing a Goshawk or a female Sparrowhawk would do.

nirofo.

Its not unheard of though, a buzzard was recorded carrying a hirundine on the Axe Estuary in 2009 - goodness knows how it managed to snaffle that!! I'm still persuaded this description is a sparrowhawk though.