South Florida - Merlin or other hawk? & Warbler help (1 Viewer)

Zackiedawg

Well-known member

• Nov 30, 2015

• #1

I've got a few I couldn't place, as well as what I think might be a merlin, but am not sure. Any help appreciated:

1. Warbler - I was thinking yellow-rumped, but not sure:
http://g4.img-dpreview.com/1E8894666D424131A3213B20CFB80BED.jpg

2. Here's a shot of what I think might be a merlin:
http://g2.img-dpreview.com/CF84696F28414BEE9FE05D26F8494753.jpg

3. Another time, possibly the same bird, different location:
http://g2.img-dpreview.com/096EA0EEF1AA443CB855FAD2AC1F2969.jpg

4. Completely different day, but again smallish hawk and quite distant...could this be a merlin:
http://g2.img-dpreview.com/01972439CDAC4530BAA44DF7D0A0E0E0.jpg

 

KenM

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #2

Agree Yellow-rumped Warbler for image 1....going to bed on the other three.

Cheers

 

S

Sangahyando

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #3

As far as I can judge, none of these are Merlin, definitely not 2 and 3. They are hawks of some sort, probably Buteo sp..

 

tril42

Suzanne Britton

• Dec 1, 2015

• #4

The first bird is indeed a Yellow-Rumped Warbler. The rest are hawks, not Merlins. Juvenile Red-Shouldered Hawks perhaps?

 

Zackiedawg

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #5

OK - thank you. Red-shouldereds are quite common here this time of year - but these ones looked quite small, darker than normal, and weren't showing any shoulder color - that's what was throwing me. Smaller predatory birds we have around here are the kestrels, merlins, and sharp-shinned hawks...kestrels are easy enough to rule out. Merlins I've photographed before, but only a few times, and sharp shinned I've never gotten a real closeup shot of...so I wasn't sure if this could have been one of those.

 

RJP

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #6

I agree with juv Red-shouldered for all the hawks.

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #7

Yes. Juvenile Red-shouldered Hawks. You can see the pale barring on the secondaries on 3 and 4.

Bob

 

tril42

Suzanne Britton

• Dec 1, 2015

• #8

Eye color is a giveaway with falcons (such as Merlins) as opposed to hawks: falcons always have beady black eyes, so black you can't distinguish the pupil from the iris, whereas hawk irises vary from yellow to red to brown. This is hard to judge with your first two photos due to lighting and distance, but if you take one into a photo editor, blow it up and lighten it some, it becomes clear that they are not falcon eyes.

Other than that shape is a big clue, but only once you've seen enough hawks and enough falcons!

 

Zackiedawg

Well-known member

• Dec 1, 2015

• #9

Thanks all. Hawks I've gotten fairly familiar with, but we have much fewer falcons here, so those are not as easy for me. Thanks for the eye tip - I know hawks usually have yellow to orange to red to brown - but didn't realize the falcons were all so dark-eyed. As you mention, I was shooting at extreme distance on most of these - the closest one to me was about 100 feet...and the farthest probably 300 feet...too far to see the eyes with my eyes!

Red-shouldered they are!