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Is it a Hawk? (Pic included)

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  • 09-11-2009 3:18pm
    #1
    arctictree
    Registered Users Posts: 4,329 ✭✭✭


    Just spotted this outside my office window:

    Image060.jpg

    I'm thinking its a sparrow hawk? Sorry about the pic, best I could get from my phone. It seems to be eating some sort of bird.


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    #2
    leopardus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 105 ✭✭leopardus


    Yep, looks like a sparrowhawk to me


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    #3
    Crafty-Chel
    Registered Users Posts: 200 ✭✭Crafty-Chel


    i think it mite be a kite, they were relesed recently, we had someone ring our rescue about one the otherday, apparently they only fly for 4/5 mins a day so he will probable hang around, if you call your local wildlife officer they will prob move him on somewhere safer.


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    #4
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    There's no way thats a kite unless the bird under her/him is a Condor.


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    #5
    Alun
    Registered Users Posts: 21,470 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    E39MSport wrote: »
    There's no way thats a kite unless the bird under her/him is a Condor.
    :D .. and it had just been to the hairdresser for a colour change as well.


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    #6
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055734666


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    #7
    donalglackin
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭donalglackin


    peregrine falcon maybe. probably wrong but just looked close at its head and thought it looked a bit similar.


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    #8
    IrishHomer
    Registered Users Posts: 2,961 ✭✭✭IrishHomer


    Its definitely 100% a Sparrowhawk.....


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    #9
    lrushe
    Registered Users Posts: 1,713 ✭✭✭lrushe


    I'd second Sparrowhawk, female too by the looks of it. Love birds of prey! :D


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    #10
    Crafty-Chel
    Registered Users Posts: 200 ✭✭Crafty-Chel


    E39MSport wrote: »
    There's no way thats a kite unless the bird under her/him is a Condor.

    My bad, but the kite is a type of Hawk and look similar, and because there has been loads of them spotted lately i just guessed thats what it mite be..

    http://birding.about.com/od/birdingglossary/g/kite.htm


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    #11
    E39MSport
    Registered Users Posts: 3,721 ✭✭✭E39MSport


    That was a bit smart ar5ed of me - apologies.

    I've seen loads of kites in the UK especially in Wales. They are massive and very distinctive.

    Cheers.
    K


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    #12
    tomahawk101
    Registered Users Posts: 33 ✭tomahawk101


    This bird is a female sparrowhawk. The bird it has caught is clearly a pigeon and if there is any doubt about this take a look closely at the bottom left of the picture and you can see the tail feather of a woodpigeon which gives us a reference to size. Female spars weight approx 8oz and regularly catch pigeons twice their weight, especially when feeding young. The males (or muskets) only weight 4 to 5oz, but have been known to take prey much larger than themselves.
    ounce for ounce these are probably the bravest raptors on the planet!
    Tom


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    #13
    funkydunkey
    Registered Users Posts: 101 ✭✭funkydunkey


    Out of curiosity, where was this taken? I live in Dublin 3 and a Sparrowhawk has landed in my back garden a number of times now to eat. never had anything as big as a pigeon. Ive been late to work a few times over it. amazing to watch. really takes its time eating, which surprised me, and is ALWAYS on the lookout.


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