Hi -
I agree with Dave's assessment, but just want to quibble about one statement.
Dave wrote "... Peregrines, which are more prone to dining on waterfowl and
shorebirds."
This is generally true but some of the Gyrfalcons wintering in western Oregon
in the past have seemed to specialize on Cackling Geese. To be sure they are
out in the wide open pastures or seedgrass fields.
Wayne
From: "David Irons" <llsdirons@xxxxxxx>
To: "Larry McQueen" <larmcqueen@xxxxxxx>, "Jack Williamson"
<jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: "obol" <obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, November 22, 2015 7:19:03 PM
Subject: [obol] Re: Request ID assistance - Gyrfalcon, or Peregrine
Jack,
As you and others have deduced this is a Peregrine Falcon and as Bob O'Brien
suggested, I believe this bird is a young Peale's Peregrine. The back doesn't
look overly gray to me I think it is pretty brown with perhaps some
sun/photographic artifact making it look a bit gray.
A general word of caution. For those unfamiliar with Peale's Peregrine Falcons,
they are more physically robust than what you might be accustomed to seeing in
Peregrine Falcons. Peales are the largest, darkest and most heavily streaked
(as juveniles) of any of the Peregrine Falcon taxa. If you do most of your
birding in Oregon's interior valleys and/or areas east of the Cascades, a large
juvenile female Peale's can quite easily get your Gyr juices flowing, as they
are very similar in appearance to a dark juvenile Gyrfalcon. Peale's are
generally found only along the outer coast and mostly along the northern half
of the Oregon coast. Over the course of birding in Oregon for about 35 years, I
probably have not averaged seeing more than one-two Peale's per year and those
that I've seen have been almost exclusively youngsters. One thing to consider
about Gyrfalcons is that they tend to prefer wide open spaces that mimic tundra
environments and they most often hunt open grassy expanses. They are not as
water oriented as Peregrines, which are more prone to dining on waterfowl and
shorebirds. If you are seeing a large bulky falcon away expansive pastures on
the outer coast, the habitat choice might offer the first clue that the bird
isn't a Gyrfalcon.
Dave Irons
Portland, OR
Subject: [obol] Re: Request ID assistance - Gyrfalcon, or Peregrine
From: larmcqueen@xxxxxxx
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 2015 16:22:27 -0800
CC: obol@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx
Jack,
I would call this a Peregrine, for the same reasons you have. The head markings
and breast match Peregrine more than Gyr. There is one shot showing the
underside of tail, not particularly diagnostic, but tends to match more, the
regular pattern of Peregrine.
Larry
On Nov 22, 2015, at 2:20 PM, Jack Williamson < jack.williamson.jr@xxxxxxxxx >
wrote:
I liked the stocky body on this bird for Gyr.
But you will see in the third photograph which I just turned up the exposure
on, the underside of the flight feathers and dark mustache make me think it
might be a Peregrine.
I do not have any shots of the underside of the tail.
Click Slideshow for full-screen http://www.jack-n-jill.net/p480158225
Thank you in advance for your thoughts.
Jack Williamson
West Linn, Oregon
