[obol] Finley Prairie Falcon more likely Merlin
- From: Pam Otley <pamo1954@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" <birding@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 20 Apr 2014 19:39:35 -0700
Hi all,
I had identified a falcon I saw at Finley Refuge on 4/19/14 as a Prairie
Falcon, based on the light brown color and prominent malar stripe. I got a
good look at it from the front with the sun shining on it. I unfortunately
drove past it and only got 3 pictures of it from the back, before it was
flushed by an oncoming car.
https://flic.kr/p/nd6Ryb
Lisa Millbank has kindly pointed out to me that the wide barring on the
tail would make Prairie Falcon unlikely as they have fine barring, and that
its most likely a Merlin. Looking in my guide books and online, this seems
to be the case. I will also add that the bird did strike me as smaller than
a Prairie Falcon, though that is all relative with nothing to compare it
to, but I went with the color and malar stripe as my basis for the id.
Sorry for the falcon mix up, learning all the time...
Happy birding, Pam Otley
Other related posts:
- » [obol] Finley Prairie Falcon more likely Merlin - Pam Otley
