Help Identifying Bird in Calgary

[FLAME ENVY]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

Did you look at the picture? The Gyr is just off 36st NE by the new airport runway, judging by some green grass underneath some light snow I would guess late spring.


Sometimes you just can't predict nature completely.

I noticed the location but thought you only provided it to caption a Gyr. Looks like a captive Gyrfalcon used for airport bird suppression sitting on a Falconer's Gauntlet to me, did you take the photo ?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by redforever

I have breeding Great Horned Owls on my property, had them there for 27 years, very familiar with how they look. Without ears, it is not a GHO. The ears would be very easily detectable on a GHO and think the poster would have mentioned them.

Also have Merlins, Red Tailed hawks, and Sharp Shinned, no peregrins though.

No way I could see that kind of detail. As I've said a couple of times it was kinda dark. I could clearly see the silhouette of the bird and sort of make out its general look but wasn't nearly close enough to see details definitively.

Watched a video of a Gyrfalcon call. Could have been it too. I back onto a small green space, I'll keep an eye out for it again in the evening. I also have a family of irritating grey partridges in the same green space. They have such an annoying call. Hopefully the falcon eats the partridge.

[FLAME ENVY]

Seeing that there are numerous people interested in Raptors and possibly Falconry within this thread. Jon Groves is a local Master Falconer (and awesome fellow) who also takes amazing photographs of Raptors (both captive and wild) doing their thing.

grovesphoto.com

*Sorry, not sure why link won't go direct.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by troutman

Sure it was a raptor (owl, falcon, hawk)? That would be unusual in residential yard, but I do see Merlins sometimes.

A common bigger bird with spots is a flicker - like a woodpecker.

I'm on the north edge of the city and back onto a small green space. The house I saw the bird perching backs onto the same space. There is a rivine and other larger grasslands nearby.

Way bigger than a flicker based on pics I searched of that bird. The bird I saw looked like it could eat a woodlecker sized bird.


Redtail Hawk looks about right, but the sound is way off. Redtail's call is much more of a screech than what I heard.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by FLAME ENVY

I noticed the location but thought you only provided it to caption a Gyr. Looks like a captive Gyrfalcon used for airport bird suppression sitting on a Falconer's Gauntlet to me, did you take the photo ?

No, I didn't take it, I saw another couple of pics of same bird farther away in a mag,(fairly sure it was anyway) he's standing on a jersey barrier at the entrance to a future development or something, whoever took it has a great lens. I'll try and find the other pics later when I have time.

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by FLAME ENVY

Seeing that there are numerous people interested in Raptors and possibly Falconry within this thread. Jon Groves is a local Master Falconer (and awesome fellow) who also takes amazing photographs of Raptors (both captive and wild) doing their thing.

grovesphoto.com

*Sorry, not sure why link won't go direct.

What a great pic, spoiler for size.

Spoiler!

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Snuffleupagus

What a great pic, spoiler for size.

Spoiler!

Charlie: So, lieutenant, where exactly were you?
Maverick: Well, WE...
Goose: Thank you.
Maverick: Started up on his six, when he pulled in through the clouds, and then I moved in above him.
Charlie: Well, if you were directly above him, how could you see him?
Maverick: Because I was inverted.
Iceman: [coughs whilst saying] Bull####.
Goose: No, he was, man, it was a really great move.
Charlie: You were in a 4G inverted dive with a Mig 28?
Maverick: Yes, ma'am.
Charlie: At what range?
Maverick: Um, about two meters.
Goose: It was actually about one and a half I think. It was one and a half. I've got a great Polaroid of it, and he's right there, must be one and a half.
Maverick: It was a nice picture.
Goose: Thanks.
Charlie: Eh, lieutenant, what were you doing there?
Goose: Communicating.
Maverick: Communicating. Keeping up foreign relations. You know, giving him the bird?
Goose: [Extending his middle finger] You know, the finger!
Charlie: Yes, I know the finger, Goose.

Sorry. I'm not much help in this thread, am I?

[missdpuck]

Our local Audubon newsletter came out today . It just happened to have this great shot if these incredible birds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Slava]

Originally Posted by missdpuck

Have you checked gyrfalcon sounds on the Cornell site?

Anything is possible. Hell, we had Razorbills s in South Florida where that is absolutely never supposed to happen.

One of my most lovely falcon acquaintances is a gyr-peregrine hybrid. She's quite vocal.

Ospreys can be extremely vocal and while they prefer fish , they are opportunistic. Their sound is kind of a piercing whistle .

The Cornell site is whatbird.com

There is also the Merlin bird ID app for your phone. Kind of annoyingly I
imperfect at times .


Also peregrines can be downright annoying , gorgeous as they are,

An owl is unlikely to announce itself . A white or spotted one as you describe would likely be a snowy owl.

My signature link - I am fascinated with raptors/ falconry

I would love an app that could identify birds with either the questions or photo. Unfortunately though that one seems to leave a lot to be desired. I thought I would try a Magpie just to see whether it could do it and it came back with no suggestions.

[Bagor]

Best Bird app out there is Sibley but you'll pay for it.

[shane_c]

An Osprey I photographed a few days ago. Sitting upright they are around the height you mentioned.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUHfkfGgvOp/

[missdpuck]

The Merlin app has given me many screwy results.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[longsuffering]

Northern Hawk Owl?

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by shane_c

An Osprey I photographed a few days ago. Sitting upright they are around the height you mentioned.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUHfkfGgvOp/

BUMP

Just in case anyone on the edge of their seat waiting for this mystery to be solved.

He/She has been back a few times and is currently circling as I type.

It's too far to take video or pics but I'm quite certain it is an Osprey. The white under the wing looks very similar to the bird I'm looking at.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

BUMP

Just in case anyone on the edge of their seat waiting for this mystery to be solved.

He/She has been back a few times and is currently circling as I type.

It's too far to take video or pics but I'm quite certain it is an Osprey. The white under the wing looks very similar to the bird I'm looking at.

Do you live near water? Osprey nest near lakes and rivers, and eat mainly fish.

[troutman]

This might help:

http://www.audubon.org/news/identify-raptors-flight

[bc-chris]

^^look at all those birds circling over troutman's sig!!!

[Since1984]

Originally Posted by bc-chris

^^look at all those birds circling over troutman's sig!!!

And many of them have pooped numbers!

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by troutman

Do you live near water? Osprey nest near lakes and rivers, and eat mainly fish.

I live deep North/North Central. Not sure what the proximity to water would need to be or even how big the water would have to be to qualify as "near".

I'll keep an eye out for him/her and see if I can get an actual photo/video. He spent most of his time the last couple sightings just riding the wind and broadly circling around the greenspace where I live. Once he did a sort of divebomb into some tall grass.

The white stripe under his wing seems to eliminate all but a few possibilities, barring major color variations to the pictures of the species I've seen online. It was very distinct dark for most of the underwing with a clear white section running from near his body towards the wing. Very similar to the one in the photo of the Osprey I quoted from the other poster's instagram page.

Some binoculars or a better camera than my iphone 6 would really come in handy. On the other hand since there are houses near me, it might just mean a visit from the police for suspected peeping, especially with all the attention on that creep twitter account.

[KevanGuy]

No way it's an osprey. They only hunt in water and would never dive into a backyard or tall grass.