How to ID a bird of prey successfully

[mgsontour]

I'm always seeing birds of prey but never certain which species it is apart from being a raptor, I know some are bigger, more red etc but when you only see a single bird we have nothing to compare it too. . . . so. . . .  is there a quick way of ID-ing them or dismissing certain types in order to know what it is?

 

[chrisjpainter]

Learning silhouettes is a great way to start. Colours can lie, but the shape of a bird rarely does.  Most of the common species of raptor can be separated by the outline alone. If you get yourself a good birdbook (I vote Collins guides, NOT RSPB ones!) you'll be able to see drawings of the birds in flight and at rest. Pay attention to wing width, shape and pointiness at the ends. 

Size is harder, because there can be crossover and can be hard to judge, but if you're able to compare it to an imagined bird, even if you can't see it in the flesh, you can get an idea of the raptor's size. i.e. bigger than a crow? MUCH bigger than a crow? etc. 

Then it's just a matter of patience, experience and looking something up. When you see something, don't think 'what's that?' Think. 'right it's got this, this and this, but not that'. commit that to memory, so you can look it up later. You'll get there. There aren't that many to worry about and the vast majority of them will be one of only a single hand of species!

Edited September 13, 2021 by chrisjpainter

[mgsontour]

16 minutes ago, chrisjpainter said:

Learning silhouettes is a great way to start. Colours can lie, but the shape of a bird rarely does.  Most of the common species of raptor can be separated by the outline alone. If you get yourself a good birdbook (I vote Collins guides, NOT RSPB ones!) you'll be able to see drawings of the birds in flight and at rest. Pay attention to wing width, shape and pointiness at the ends. 

Size is harder, because there can be crossover and can be hard to judge, but if you're able to compare it to an imaginary bird, even if you can't see it in the flesh, you can an idea of the raptor's size. i.e. bigger than a crow? MUCH bigger than a crow? etc. 

Then it's just a matter of patience, experience and looking something up. When you see something, don't think 'what's that?' Think. 'right it's got this, this and this, but not that'. commit that to memory, so you can look it up later. You'll get there. There aren;t that many to worry about and the vast majority of them will be one of only a single hand of species!

Thanks, just the kind of education I likes ( RSPB make really good cartridges as I saw a mate the other day ( normally a decent shot ) have a bad day and I was convinced he was using them ) but will look at the Collins guides, cheers

[Smokersmith]

Agree … silhouettes work well and you’ll begin to pick up things like characteristic wing and tail shapes.

If you can have a ride out with someone who knows, that would be better, but not always easy.

[mgsontour]

Just did a quick search for the above and came across this silhouette quiz by the BBC ( for the purpose of this thread please forget you ever saw the bloke on the left ) and scored 4/8 so better than I thought

BBC Two - Winterwatch - Test your knowledge on the UK's birds of prey

 

[JDog]

Another vote for Collins.

There are not many birds of prey and if you are keen it will not take long for you to master it.

Don't even think about wader ID to start with or even trying to classify Wagtails.

[chrisjpainter]

@JDog's copy is the photoguide, I have the illustrated guide (which is better is a war we can have elsewhere!), but both are much better than the RSPB ones. Here's a page from the illustrated one, with the sparrowhawk and goshawk page, two species where size is critical, but it also gives a quick silhouette comparison between kestrel and sparrowhawk, which shows how easy it can be to split species using silhouette alone

[Officer Barbrady]

1 hour ago, mgsontour said:

Just did a quick search for the above and came across this silhouette quiz by the BBC ( for the purpose of this thread please forget you ever saw the bloke on the left ) and scored 4/8 so better than I thought

BBC Two - Winterwatch - Test your knowledge on the UK's birds of prey

 

I got the Merlin wrong!

 

[mgsontour]

4 hours ago, chrisjpainter said:

@JDog's copy is the photoguide, I have the illustrated guide (which is better is a war we can have elsewhere!), but both are much better than the RSPB ones. Here's a page from the illustrated one, with the sparrowhawk and goshawk page, two species where size is critical, but it also gives a quick silhouette comparison between kestrel and sparrowhawk, which shows how easy it can be to split species using silhouette alone

Nice one; appreciated

[WalkedUp]

I prefer illustrations to photographs for ID. No idea why, nostalgia or is the illustrator focusing you on the important details rather than a photo editor just lazy deciding “yes, that’s a picture of a hen harrier” without thinking if it is showing the key traits. 

Just completed the quiz, after a deflating Monday it’s nice to know I’m at least good for something 🤣

[billytheghillie]

I just shoot them, easier to I.D. close up 

[WalkedUp]

Behind every joke is the truth...

[Stonepark]

My ID is not just silhouette but a mixture of size, wing shape, feather spread, tail shape and spread... Flight type and wing beat as often cannot make out colour against sky or due to distance.

 

 

 

 

[marsh man]

My eyes are nowhere as good as they once were although I can still spot objects and items that seem out of place on the marsh , well one day last week I was having a wander when in the distance was a bird of prey that was huge , it was gliding over the marsh and various birds were mocking it , far bigger than the Harriers and the Buzzard's we see daily , the only thing I thought it might had been was the Eagle that have been reported in the Eastern regions . now for the last few days I have taken my binoculars I have seen no sign of it .

[chrisjpainter]

12 minutes ago, marsh man said:

My eyes are nowhere as good as they once were although I can still spot objects and items that seem out of place on the marsh , well one day last week I was having a wander when in the distance was a bird of prey that was huge , it was gliding over the marsh and various birds were mocking it , far bigger than the Harriers and the Buzzard's we see daily , the only thing I thought it might had been was the Eagle that have been reported in the Eastern regions . now for the last few days I have taken my binoculars I have seen no sign of it .

Leave them behind for a day. That'll get it to turn up!

[yates]

Another vote for Collins. I have the Collins app on my phone. Lots of illustrations and videos. It’s not free I think I paid about £14.00 a couple of years ago

[Mice!]

On 13/09/2021 at 10:04, JDog said:

Don't even think about wader ID to start with

Nice read, and your right, I don't even try, I'll just look and think wader, that's close enough 😊

[ninjaferret]

On 13/09/2021 at 11:06, Officer Barbrady said:

I got the Merlin wrong!

 

So did i , in my defence i moved the arrow accidental .........