For instance, the signature double ‘stache on an American Kestrel’s face may not be so obvious, so rely on its overall paleness to help distinguish it from the slightly larger and darker female and juvenile Merlin. Look for specific features-though fine distinctions in plumage might still be hard to pin down. Once you've sorted your groups, it's time to narrow down the candidate species. Big Black Birds (eagles and vultures) are the super-size, darker-plumed titans that make spare use of their wings.Falcons are slender- and pointy-winged speedsters with steadier wing flaps.Accipiters are small, narrow-tailed forest dwellers with short, rapid, bursting flaps, punctuated by a glide.Buteos are the large, broad-winged, short-tailed lugs with spare and labored wing beats.(Northern Harrier, Osprey, and kites are a few exceptions.) These are the core attributes for each: Most birds of prey fall into four major categories.

If you want to play in the hawkwatching arena, you’re going to have to rethink your concept of a field mark. Distant IDs aren’t made instantly-they’re built, by piecing together multiple clues that favor one species over another. My advice: Don’t be intimidated, but don’t be dismissive either. Focus on the traits you can make out: size, shape, overall color or tone, and the manner and cadence of the bird’s wing beats. Birders trained to ID birds by their plumage are typically mystified by their first hawk-watching experience-from a distance, raptors may be near impossible to tell apart.

Falcon vs hawk