Merlin

Falco columbarius

Appearance:
Small falcon
Adult male: slaty gray to dark gray
Females and immatures: browner
Broad, heavily streaked chest
Medium length tail with narrow white bands
Dark underwing
Sharply pointed wings

Listen to its call.

I witnessed this Merlin in pursuit of a Steller’s Jay earlier this week. Although the two birds were comparable in size, the Merlin relentlessly chased its prey, performing impressive turns and other aerial maneuvers. I'm happy to say that the two birds went their separate ways without any injuries sustained. 

Learn more about the Merlin. 

Swainson's Hawk

Buteo swainsoni

Appearance:
Large, slim hawk
Long, pointed wings
Dark flight feathers
Light-phase: (photographed)
    Dark brown upperparts
    Reddish-brown bib
    White belly and underwings
    Dark head with white surrounding bill, extending down to throat and up to eyes

Tail has about six narrow dark bands and one wider sub-terminal band

Dark-phase:
     Dark brown overall
     Reddish-brown belly and underwings    

Listen to its call.

This hawk was flying fairly low over a field at Rocky Point Bird Observatory yesterday.  Birders more experienced than I (me?) identified it as a light-phase, second year bird as its bib is incomplete with a patchy mix of brown and white feathers.

Learn more about the Swainson's Hawk.

Great Horned Owl

Bubo virginianus

Appearance:
Large, powerful owl
Bold, yellow eyes
Long, ear-like tufts
Prominent facial disk
Mottled brown plumage with white and black barring
White throat
Horizontal bars on belly

Listen to its call.

Although I often hear a pair of these outside my bedroom window at night, this is the first time I've seen one in the daylight.  He/she was napping in a tree by the Swan Lake parking lot this morning. Despite its size, the owl managed to blend in with his surroundings remarkably well.

Learn more about the Great Horned Owl.

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

Appearance:
Large falcon
Long, pointed wings
Long, narrow tail, rounded at the end
Black, hooked bill with yellow base
Yellow feet
Black claws  
Adult:
   Slate grey upperparts
   Barred underparts 
   Black crown and 'moustache' along cheeks
   White chin and throat
Juveniles: (photographed)
   Brown upperparts
   Heavily streaked underparts
   Brown crown and 'moustache' along cheeks

Listen to its call.  
 
I was photographing peeps on the beach last week when this bird suddenly swooped in looking for dinner, resulting in mass exodus. Fortunately, both for me and the tiny sandpipers, he went away hungry -- but not before I was able to get some nice photos.

 

Learn more about the Peregrine Falcon. 

Northern Saw-whet Owl

Aegolius acadicus

Appearance:
Small owl
No ear tufts
White facial disk, outlined in brown and white
Brownish head, including forehead, covered with white streaks
Brownish upper parts with white spots
White underparts, streaked with brown
Large, bright yellow-orange eyes
Black bill

Listen to its call.

The Northern Saw-whet Owl is about 7 inches in height, approximately the size of a Downy Woodpecker but with a much larger wingspan. Because of their small size, Saw-whet Owls often fall prey to larger owls and eagles. This little cutie was attacked by a Barred Owl from which he sustained injuries.  Following his recovering at a wildlife hospital in December 2012, I had the privilege of releasing him back into the wild to continue his migration south. 

Learn more about the Northern Saw-whet Owl.


Additional photos:

Northern Harrier

Circus cyaneus

Appearance:

Medium-sized hawk

Long, slender wings

Long, banded tail

White rump

Owl-like face

Male: (above)

    Gray above and on upper chest

    White below

    Black wingtips

Female: (below)

    Brown above

    Streaked below

    White facial disc

Listen to its call.

In addition to the owls, a number of these birds were present along the path around Boundary Bay last weekend. When I first spotted the male flying quite low and holding its wings in a V position, I immediately raised my camera to take a picture. However, despite my first impression, I let myself be swayed by my companion's claim that it was just a gull. Of course, we realized his mistake when it was abreast of us, by which time I could only get a quick, rather blurry, shot. I guess this is one time that I should have shot first and asked questions later. 

 

 Learn more about the Northern Harrier.

Short-eared Owl

Asio flammeus

Appearance:
Medium-sized owl
Large, round head
Prominent facial disc
Yellow eyes
Black around eyes
Streaked upperparts
Light below with streaked upper breast
Short ear tufts, seldom visible
Long wings with dark patch near wrist
Barred tail

Listen to its call.

A number of these owls were hanging around Boundary Bay on the weekend, on the opposite side of the path from the Snowy Owls. Unlike yesterday's bird, this one was quite active, frequently leaving its perch to swoop down on unsuspecting prey.

 

I always thought the expression 'to have eyes in the back of your head' was figurative but owls literally are able to see what is going on behind them. How cool is that?

 Learn more about the Short-eared Owl.

Snowy Owl

Bubo scandiacus

Appearance:
Large, bulky owl
Round head
Yellow eyes
Mostly white
Varying amounts of dark mottling
Adult male may be pure white

Listen to its call.

On a visit to Vancouver this weekend, we stopped at Boundary Bay in Delta to see the Snowy Owls that have been reported in the area. It seems that a lot of other people had the same idea. It was quite a busy place. Thankfully, almost everyone respected the owls' space and kept their distance. 

This bird was perched on a log not too far from the pathway, swiveling its head around in classic owl fashion.

Learn more about the Snowy Owl.

Barred Owl

Strix varia

Appearance:
Medium-sized owl
Round head with no ear tufts
Dark-bordered facial disc
Large, brown eyes
Yellow, hooked bill
Brown upperparts with white markings
White underparts with brown markings
Horizontal bars on chest
Vertical stripes on belly

Listen to its call.

Today was a monumental day; I finally got an owl for my blog. This bird was snoozing in the forested area next to the Swan Lake parking lot this morning. Although it did open its eyes briefly once or twice, the number of people in the area didn't seem to disturb its day-time sleep. I guess that is something that all noctural animals in the city must learn to adapt to. (According to Grammar Girl, it’s okay to end a sentence with a preposition).

Apparently, the Barred Owl's ability to adapt has resulting in it being the most common owl on Southern Vancouver Island.

Learn more about the Barred Owl.

Sharp-shinned Hawk

Accipiter striatus

Appearance:
Small hawk
Relatively small head
Long, square-tipped tail
Pencil-thin yellow legs
Adult:
    Blue-gray upperparts
    Barred, reddish-brown underparts
    Gray and black barred tail,
         with very narrow, white tip
    Dark red eyes
Juvenile:
   Brown back and wings
   Brown-streaked underparts
   Thin, white eyestripe
   White underwing with dark brown barring
   Yellow eyes

Listen to its call.

I caught a glimpse of this bird as it flew over Tuesday Pond at Swan Lake last week. I quickly rushed over to the area where I thought it had landed. After walking back and forth along the path a number of times, I finally noticed it sitting silently in a tree watching me. Its ability to be inconspicuous must be useful for hunting but it felt a bit eerie when I was the one in its sights.

Learn more about the Sharp-shinned Hawk.

American Kestrel

Falco sparverius

Appearance:

Very small falcon

Long tail

Long, narrow, pointed wings
White head with bluish-gray crown
Two distinct black facial stripes
Red-brown nap and back
Two black spots on each side of nape
 Male:
   Red-brown patch on crown  

   Red-brown breast 

   Red-brown tail with black tip

   Blue-gray wings with black spots

   Pale belly with black spots

Female: (not photographed)

   Red-brown wings

   Back and wing barred with black

   Red-brown tail with multiple dark bands

   Pale buff breast streaked with brown

Listen to its call.

While driving down Welch Road this morning, I saw this bird perched in the top of a tree by the side of the road. Initially, I thought it was a Mourning Dove due to its size and shape. However, as soon as it took off, I realized my mistake.

 

It seemed to hover gracefully in the air, almost like a toy kite. Apparently, it manages to stay in place by flapping its wings and adjusting its long tail.  

Learn more about the American Kestrel.

Turkey Vulture

Cathartes aura
 
Appearance:
Very large bird
Small, unfeathered, red head
Hooked, ivory-colored bill
Brownish-black plumage
Long wings with gray flight feathers underneath
Long, rounded tail
Pink legs and feet

Listen to its call.

Leaving Island View beach this afternoon, I noticed two of these birds roosting in a dead tree by the side of the road. I was surprised at their rather comical appearance; the head is extremely small in relation to the body. After watching them for several minutes they took off over the fields. A little while later I caught sight of them soaring overhead without seeming to flap their wings at all.  They just seemed to float on the air currents. It was quite beautiful to watch. I have trouble relating these birds to the dirty, unscrupulous scavengers that their reputation affords them.

 

Learn more about the Turkey Vulture.

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

male

Description:

Large bird of prey

White chest and belly

Dark back and wings

Dark tail with white bands

White head with black face stripe

Short, hooked beak

Dark streaking on throat (female)

Listen to its call.




If you happen to be driving past the University of Victoria in the near future, take a look at the lights over the playing fields off Sinclair Road. This bird has built a nest on the top of one of them. Pretty strange place to build a nest, if you ask me, right out in the open like that.  Apparently, this is quite common though; Osprey readily build their nests on man-made structures. Since their diet consists almost entirely of fish, I guess the lack of rabbits on campus this spring didn't discourage these birds from moving into the neighbourhood.

female

Learn more about the Osprey.

Additional photos:

Cooper's Hawk

Accipiter cooperii

Appearance:
Medium-sized hawk
Adult:
Gray-blue upperparts
Reddish-orange bars on underparts
Long, rounded tail with thick,
    dark bands and white tip
Dark cap with paler nape
Thick, yellow legs
Red eyes
Juvenile: (shown below)
Brown upperparts
Brown streaks on breast

Listen to its call.

After photographing the Belted Kingfisher last weekend, I noticed this bird perched in a tree a little further down the road. There were also a number of other birds around. I couldn't believe my luck: two new birds in one location! It wasn't until afterwards that I realized it probably wasn't lucky for the other birds, as they are this hawk's main diet. Now that I think about it, I wonder why they didn't detect any danger? Usually when a hawk flies over our yard, there is a mass exodus.  

The picture below was taken by my husband in our backyard. This bird was banded, as are the majority of Cooper's Hawks in Victoria. The one above, surprisingly, was not.



  Learn more about the Cooper's Hawk.

Additional photo (juvenile):


Red-tailed Hawk

Buteo jamaicensis

Appearance:

Large hawk

Brown upperparts

Lighter V-pattern on back

Pale underparts with brown streaks
Dark “belly band” across the abdomen
Broad, rounded wings
Dark bar on underside of wings
Short, wide tail
Short, dark, hooked beak
Juvenile: (above)
   Brown tail above, with dark bars
Adult: (below)
   Reddish tail above, pinkish-white below

Listen to its call.

I required assistance to correctly identify this bird. Apparently, it has a classic buteo silhouette (see below), which ruled out either the Sharp-shinned Hawk and Goshawk, both of which I was considering.

This bird was perched in a tree by King's Pond today when a group of crows decided they didn't want it there. It was a relatively small bird of prey and probably fairly young by the look of it. The crows started dive-bombing it, trying to knock it from the branch. I guess it knew it was outnumbered because it didn't even put up a fight. It just flew off, made a couple of circles over the area and went on its way.

Learn more about the Red-tailed Hawk.

Additional photos -- Adult Red-tailed Hawk:


 

Bald Eagle

Haliaeetus leucocephalus

Description:
Large bird of prey
Adult:
Brown body
White head and tail
Large, yellow, hooked beak
Yellow eyes and feet
Immature:
Dark brown and white, mottled
White in wings in linings,
     not in flight feathers
Blackish-gray bill
Dark eyes
Yellow feet and lower legs

Listen to its call.

Taking advantage of the sunny weather on the weekend, I was wandering around Swan Lake when I saw this bird in pursuit of a gull. After much swooping and squawking, the eagle gave up chase and retired to the top of a tall pine where he remained perched for some time, surveying the area. I know it's natural for birds of prey to kill other birds for food but, I'm not ashamed to say, I was definitely rooting for the gull.

Learn more about the Bald Eagle.

Additional photos --


Bald Eagle's nest -- Victoria Golf Course

Beacon Hill Park







Immature Bald Eagle: