Is this a merlin? (1 Viewer)

[mother1948]

Or a Pergrine?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Hi it’s a Merlin.

Please include location in your titles! 😉

Edit. Scrap that - Was mis-interpreting the position of the head - see below!

 

[mother1948]

Hi it’s a Merlin.

Please include location in your titles! 😉

Sorry, Somerset. I don't get it though. First thought was Merlin, but the heavy black moustache, yellow round eye, point to Peregrine. Surely these fearures cannot occur on Merlin? It was very distant so size was difficult to ascertain. I'm sure you're right just want to understand more.

 

[Bismarck Honeyeater]

I would give consideration to a hybrid, doesn’t look like a Merlin, though not convincing as a pure Peregrine either.

 

[mother1948]

Or a Pergrine?

I would give consideration to a hybrid, doesn’t look like a Merlin, though not convincing as a pure Peregrine either.

I didn't know such a thing existed!

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I assumed it was looking at the camera and that was the dark tip of the bill and shadow rather than a tache - the flanks look dark with bold light spotting - I’m looking at it wrong! 😳

ML304508711 - Merlin - Macaulay Library

Macaulay Library ML304508711; © Conor MacKenzie; Somerset, England, United Kingdom

macaulaylibrary.org

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,
welcome to birdforum. Is it possible to see the original picture? It could well make a (the) difference. I suspect, part of the strange look could be due to picture quality, but I cant identify it. I even thought, a 2 cy Hobby was a possibility, but rear end seems to blunt with wings and tail too short.

Conclusion? I agree, that it looks some kind of strange and I think its one for the real experts and that the original picture could make it much easier (could well change into a Peregrine with an unusual head pattern or an escaped bird, therefore exotic or an hybrid) or even a Merlin?

 

[mother1948]

Hello,
welcome to birdforum. Is it possible to see the original picture? It could well make a (the) difference. I suspect, part of the strange look could be due to picture quality, but I cant identify it. I even thought, a 2 cy Hobby was a possibility, but rear end seems to blunt with wings and tail too short.

Conclusion? I agree, that it looks some kind of strange and I think its one for the real experts and that the original picture could make it much easier (could well change into a Peregrine with an unusual head pattern or an escaped bird, therefore exotic or an hybrid) or even a Merlin?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Thanks for the new picture. I think its a slightly unusual looking Peregrine or some kind of hybrid. Difficult to judge, as colours and head pattern change in the different pictures, as was already suspected by Deb.

And one for the experts.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

It certainly looks more like a peregrine than a merlin in these images!

I was looking at the first image all wrong!

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Sorry, Somerset. I don't get it though. First thought was Merlin, but the heavy black moustache, yellow round eye, point to Peregrine. Surely these fearures cannot occur on Merlin? It was very distant so size was difficult to ascertain. I'm sure you're right just want to understand more.

Yes, sorry, I thought that moustache was the bill/shadow and it was face on. The latest images do show a very wide moustache which you are quite correct, does not occur on Merlin. Thanks for the location btw🙂

 

[mother1948]

Thanks for the new picture. I think its a slightly unusual looking Peregrine or some kind of hybrid. Difficult to judge, as colours and head pattern change in the different pictures, as was already suspected by Deb.

And one for the experts.

Some images are in full evening sun, others when it clouded over. I feel Peregrine despite my intital assumption, but like you say an unusual one. Even with the distance it seemed very small for what, assuming a female, ought to be a much bigger bird. Perhaps a small and very runtish juvenile Peregrine?

 

[KC Foggin]

Peregrine for me.

 

[Southern Frogmouth]

A small male Peregrine would only be two inches/5cms longer than a large female Merlin so not that much bigger. It doesn't look that small to me and looks bulky but then size is very difficult to assess without something of known size to compare it with. Certainly looks like a Peregrine to me but a hybrid would be difficult to eliminate without a much closer view. Falconers are known to breed hybrids and they have caused confusion in the past when they have escaped and seen in the wild.

Cheers

Roy

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I can’t really see anything to rule out Peregrine on these new lot of images - I’m not sure why people are saying hybrid - surely (even though this new lot of images are clearer) there’s still not enough clarity to rule out a pure Peregrine, (wild hybrids are still relatively scarce and image 5 in post #8 looks fine for a full hooded Peregrine to me so perhaps there is a some artefacts here (as I found out when looking again at image #1 with the head the ‘wrong way round’!!)

 

[lou salomon]

2cy peregrine, as stated already. probably not a hybrid.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Thanks Lou for confirmation.
At least for me, I have never seen a Peregrine with such warm brown upperparts and orange-rusty cheeks before. Yes, these colours are only there in the warm pictures in sunshine, but these resulted in a strange feeling, at least for me.

 

[lou salomon]

warm low light but young peregrines can have buffy cheeks: (London): http://www.london-peregrine-partnership.org.uk/images/juv_plumage.jpg
pale fringes in the OP are worn off, leaving upperwings looking just brown, nothing unusual.

 

[Southern Frogmouth]

Personally when I saw the first photo I thought 2CY Peregrine. I mentioned hybrids, as that possibility had already been raised, to explain to OP how they occur as they didn't realize they existed but if push comes to shove a hybrid might be very difficult to eliminate as they could look very similar to either of the parents but the likelihood is that it is a pure Peregrine with no obvious evidence to suggest otherwise.

Cheers

Roy