Peregrine Falcon, Death Valley National Park, California (1 Viewer)

S

SHolt

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #1

Can anyone assist with age/sex of this bird perched on the FCC antenna array near the airport? It was observed today for 75 minutes on the pre-survey for the Christmas Bird Count on Sunday. Comments by the observers were that it, "felt less robust than the female observed last year". It showed very little distress to have three cars drive past and six people gawking at it talking and taking images. It is the second image "voucher-documented" Peregrine for the Park!

 

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Last edited: Dec 13, 2012

Microtus

Maryland USA (he/him)

• Dec 13, 2012

• #2

It's clearly an adult because of the blue-gray back and the barring on the underparts. I can't help with sexing it.

 

J

jaco

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #3

Microtus said:

It's clearly an adult because of the blue-gray back and the barring on the underparts. I can't help with sexing it.

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I suspect sexing it based on this (or probably any) photo would be impossible.

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #4

If you have access to Wheeler's RAPTORS of Western North America there are several paragraphs on telling male and female F. p. anatum ("American") Peregrine falcons apart. It is far too complicated for me. See page 470.

Bob

 

J

jaco

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #5

ceasar said:

If you have access to Wheeler's RAPTORS of Western North America there are several paragraphs on telling male and female F. p. anatum ("American") Peregrine falcons apart. It is far too complicated for me. See page 470.
Bob

Click to expand...

I don't have that handy, but the Birds of North America account (Cornell) says:

Female. Similar to male but underparts on average more buffy and heavily marked with larger markings extending farther up on breast and into crop; upperparts browner. Whitish basal portions of nape-feathers more extensive, giving nape and ocelli slightly mottled appearance more frequently.​

So it's possible, but I suspect the overlap is far too great to identify most. But what do I know?

 

pianoman

duck and diver, bobolink and weaver

• Dec 13, 2012

• #6

If you see the two together, Male looks that little bit bluer and that little bit neater. And usually smaller of course. This has the look of a male to me, but I certainly wouldn't swear to it.

 

J

jaco

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #7

Come to think of it, I recall seeing a pair in which the female was definitely a lot "peachier" on the breast.

I take back my impossible comment completely. But I'm still no help.

 

S

SHolt

Well-known member

• Dec 13, 2012

• #8

Thanks for the comments. They are all helpful. We were able to approach this one much closer than the other for a long time. It really did appear to be a smaller bird than last years. Hope that we can continue to see this bird in the Park.