Bird ID - Hawk?

[nwfloridafalconfan]

Found in the backyard today.

http://www.afn.org/~afn02552/photos/hawk%3f/hawk1.JPG
http://www.afn.org/~afn02552/photos/hawk%3f/hawk2.JPG

[Kris G.]

Could you post its face..might be easier to ID.

[nwfloridafalconfan]

Could you post its face..might be easier to ID.

I knew someone would ask for a face photo as soon as I uploaded the others, but I had to go out and just got back.  My camera gives too much color intensity with flash, and throws in some blue hue that is not really there, but these may be useful.  This has to be an adult - way too late in the year for young birds.  Kestrel?  I've never seen one around here (Southeast Alabama).  It's like it just fell out of the sky.

http://www.afn.org/~afn02552/photos/hawk%3f/face1.JPG
http://www.afn.org/~afn02552/photos/hawk%3f/face2.JPG

[Donna]

Awe, poor thing! Wonder if it was being carried by another larger bird!! I have no clue!! 

[MAK]

It's definitely not a Kestrel. I think it's a Merlin. I've attached a pic of a Merlin. What d'ya think!?

[nwfloridafalconfan]

It's definitely not a Kestrel. I think it's a Merlin. I've attached a pic of a Merlin. What d'ya think!?

I think the Merlin may well be it.  Thanks MAK!  Wish I could have photographed this one live. 

[MAK]

It's definitely not a Kestrel. I think it's a Merlin. I've attached a pic of a Merlin. What d'ya think!?

I think the Merlin may well be it.  Thanks MAK!  Wish I could have photographed this one live. 

It's a beauty whatever it is!  

[patsy6]

It's definitely not a Kestrel. I think it's a Merlin. I've attached a pic of a Merlin. What d'ya think!?

I think the Merlin may well be it.  Thanks MAK!  Wish I could have photographed this one live. 

It looks like a merlin to me as well.  Sad that it died, though. I wonder what happened to it. 

[nwfloridafalconfan]

It looks like a merlin to me as well.  Sad that it died, though. I wonder what happened to it. 
[/quote]

No obvious signs of trauma, no scattering of feathers, just lying in the yard.

[Carol P.]

Did you find it close to your house?  I wonder if it hit the house, or something else, while pursuing prey.  Sad.

[nwfloridafalconfan]

Did you find it close to your house?  I wonder if it hit the house, or something else, while pursuing prey.  Sad.

About 15' from the corner of the house (single story) so I guess that's a possibility.  No signs of impact, no feathers.  Never know for sure.

[nwfloridafalconfan]

I couldn't match the horizontal marking under the eye or the yellow coloring on the head to any Merlin or other hawk photos on the web, so I went to the experts at Cornell.  Here is the reply I received today:

That's not a hawk. Notice the lack of talons on the feet. The bird is also too chunky and short winged to manage the quick maneuvers that hawks require. That's a female Northern Bobwhite. You can learn more about the species on the Cornell Lab's All About Birds online guide:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Bobwhite/id

Happy FeederWatching,
Anne Marie Johnson
Project Assistant

Project FeederWatch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
http://feederwatch.org
(607) 254-2416

[Donna]

Well I'll be! Pretty sad for that little fella! Glad you found out. Thanks

[Kris G.]

I couldn't match the horizontal marking under the eye or the yellow coloring on the head to any Merlin or other hawk photos on the web, so I went to the experts at Cornell.  Here is the reply I received today:

That's not a hawk. Notice the lack of talons on the feet. The bird is also too chunky and short winged to manage the quick maneuvers that hawks require. That's a female Northern Bobwhite. You can learn more about the species on the Cornell Lab's All About Birds online guide:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Bobwhite/id

Happy FeederWatching,
Anne Marie Johnson
Project Assistant

Project FeederWatch
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
159 Sapsucker Woods Road
Ithaca, NY 14850
http://feederwatch.org
(607) 254-2416

I didn't think it looked too hawkish either but I'm no expert.  Glad you found out what it was..interesting!

[nwfloridafalconfan]

I guess I should have considered this earlier.  There used to be a quail farm a couple of miles from here.  It's been gone for a decade or more, but I have seen quail scurrying across the road down that way from time to time.