Peregrine or Hobby ? You Decide. (4 Viewers)

[stuart winter]

May be it's because I'm a Londoner....
Could not avoid this one (I'm born and bred in E8)...
One good clue as to why this is a Peregrine is the mask shape.
The bird lacks the "sideburns" of a Hobby. This feature is created
by a small black notch behind the eye which some people describe
as a second moustache. Take a look at Dick Forsmann's Raptors
tome - it is ever present in all the Hobby photos. Peregrines have
just one clear downward area of black on the head - the moustache.
Hope this makes sense....

Stu

 

[mountain man]

might be a bit late having a go at this,but it is ahobby 100%

This and the other falcon thread are the two best ever!

B B B

 

[chrisgarner]

A very puzzling shot.

Divert ones glance to the size of the talons however and Hobby becomes untenable;they are huge.

Peregrine.

 

[London Birder]

lol, ok point taken, I can ID a bloody Hobby...certainly wasn't the only one led astray by the pic, but I did hold out till I was convinced I was wrong, same way I'd hope anyone else would ... agreed however, both good threads

 

[stuart winter]

Well, said London Birder...
Sit back and look at the Premiership...London Clubs 1-2-3...
As they say, just Capital...

S

 

[London Birder]

Well, said London Birder...
Sit back and look at the Premiership...London Clubs 1-2-3...
As they say, just Capital...

S

yep, sadly my team ain't doing so well, mind you, gorgeous goal from Henri other day ... :clap:

gotta love Charlton tho

 

[lou salomon]

This and the other falcon thread are the two best ever!

B B B

my feelings exactly :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

 

[Bluetail]

I think we all owe Lou a deep gratitude for getting this sorted. :clap: (Not that it should ever really have needed sorting. )

 

[London Birder]

yep agreed, thanks Lou, appreciated ...

 

[The Raptor]

I must own up, perhaps I was wrong, could well be a young perigrine. Have some sympathy I'am having a bad week-end, City lose 3-4 at Oldham.

 

[Hedgewitch]

Fantastic thread! I'll say one thing, this forum is a great place for us less experienced birders to learn. Well 'argued' points from both camps etc and I felt a bit like that indecisive bloke in the pub from the Fast Show at times.
I thought young peregrine at the beginning, seen lots, but my experience of hobbys is sadly lacking.
Thanks all. :clap:

 

[Ghostly Vision]

May I just finish this one off once and for all (and once again remind everyone how wrong I was?) by quoting one of my friends, to whom I sent the picture blind.

He, unlike me, actually looked at the features of the bird carefully, whereas I glanced, said Hobby, and let it be at that.

This man has studied Hobbies and Peregrines for years, and has ringed many of both species. As you can see, he has even managed to age and sex the bird from the photo. He was pleased to death when I told him he was right!

"Obviously a juv; blue cere and eye surrounds; now it gets tricky.
Despite the obvious size difference when seen together these two can be really difficult to tell apart when seen on their own at any age; however structure is a good starting point; if im reading the piccy right the bottom of the bird seems to show a very broad wedge shaped tail; on H the tail is usually parallel; and there is no primary projection visible in the notch of the tail tip ; though of course v. yng H dont have this for several weeks; the feet look v large for the size of the bird ; in H they are more in proportion; in fact the feet are so large that i would sex this bird as a female; The breast streaking is not particularly striking , fading out at the crop; in H this is usually much heavier and on a buffer ground colour; this bird seems to white on the upper breast/throat area; now to the head ; in my eyes this is all Peregrine; the moustachial stripe is very broad and blunt tipped; in H quiet narrow and pointed usually ending level with the catchlight in this birds eye; not as here to the rear of the eye;
The bill is far to robust for H which has a small "weedy" bill compared to a P; it appears too big for the head a pro P feature; the crown is mainly dark with a small pale area to the f'head; in H the crown is usually more streaked and paler than the moustache.
The only thing for H is the Scots Pine its sitting in but of course Peregrines also sit in trees.
So in my opinion this is a juvenile female Peregrine;"

Hope this helps

GV

 

[London Birder]

certainly helps me!

cheers GV

 

[Joern Lehmhus]

This was really a great thread! Just had fun reading the whole thing... and Lou:...said again, but nevertheless true: many thanks for taking the effort to sort that out!

 

[Strandman]

This was really a great thread! Just had fun reading the whole thing... and Lou:...said again, but nevertheless true: many thanks for taking the effort to sort that out!

Just back from a few days hol - very enjoyable couple of threads to catch up on and thanks to all.

 

[lou salomon]

sean, thank you for sharing that really instructive statement of your friend! he really knows his falcon matters.
jane, this should be put into "Index of Identification Q&A", maybe with a special remark for post 132!
if they weren't that obvious in the field usually... - but, i remember approaching two hobbys sitting in a wide steppe area on ground (more than 1 km away) being convinced they were peregrines until i was close enough to be proven otherwise!

 

[jinglebird]

Apparently this picture HERE shows a Peregrine which has been identified as such and rung ...

Your thoughts please ...

Hobby for me.

Juvenile peregrine. streaked underparts.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Where were you when you were needed last year?!

 

[Strandman]

Juvenile peregrine. streaked underparts.

please let's not ...post #68 for anyone who is tempted..

 

[gerdwichers8]

I was tempted at post #1 but the 'fat' and rounded moustache and its bill kept me away. Easily equalled with the full set.