[cobirds] ID - Red Rock Falcons - Jeffco

For those of you interested in separating the male falcons from the
females at Red Rocks, here are some tips:

Peregrine Falcons ID tips:
male - smaller bird with a very wide black malar mark creating a total
black helmet look; bright yellow cere & orbital skin & feet; lighter
underneath; paler blue on rump and lower back.
female - larger bird with a wide black malar mark (white spot shows on
lower third of auriculars); creamy white cere & orbital skin; more
heavily marked lower breast & belly; back & rump more medium blue.

Without good light it is difficult to tell the male from the female
just looking at the back, but the female will be a more brownish gray
with a medium blue back and rump as opposed to the male's more bluish
gray with a light blue rump and lower back. In flight and good light
you can distinguish the lighter blue rump and back on the male.


Prairie Falcon ID tips:
male
smaller with bright yellow cere & orbital skin;
distinct white eyebrow - extends to the nape;
light to moderate markings on flanks, breast & belly;
in flight shows black axillaries (armpits) but more lightly marked
underneath overall;
upperwings barred with tawny edgings - appears two-toned in good light.

female
larger bird with paler yellow cere;
thinner white eyebrow does not extend quite to the nape;
more heavily marked underneath;
in flight shows black axillaries and appears darker underneath overall;
nearly brown uniform brown upperwings.

Telling the male from the female by just looking at the upperwings is
subtle, but the female appears more uniform brown and the male has a
grainy two-toned look.

Good viewing,

Mike Henwood
Morrison - 3 miles south of Red Rocks
Jefferson County





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