Well, there was a lot of guess work in the identification of this bird, especially from a picture like this! And, as stated, it’s just for fun and from this picture it would be hard to be 100% confident that you had got the identification 100% right. So, there is no harm in having a go, and no one is going to think any less of you if you get it wrong!
My first thought was Swift, but I knew it wasn’t right, and when Dean indicated that Swift wasn’t correct I knew it had to be a Cuckoo……….. Having said that, of course years of field experience does help!
Firstly, if you look at the left wing of this bird very carefully, you can see the underside is barred. So swift is out, in fact most species are out, except a bird of prey. If you look at the same wing, it gives the impression that the wing is quite narrow – so it’s likely to be a Falcon – e.g. Hobby or Kestrel. But, the head is too small – and a Falcon with a small head, can only be a Cuckoo!
The thing that worried me about suggesting Cuckoo from this image was the tail – it seemed too broad. So, I am guessing that this bird has just taken off, and so the tail is really spread out. I expect, that moments later, this bird would have closed its tail, and looked a lot more cuckoo like.
Hope this help Katherine, and remember the quiz is just for fun, so have a go!
Best Wishes
Andrew
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Andrew Chick Website:
http://www.forktail.co.uk/
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