Merlin? Golden Ponds Longmont, Boulder

[ronbco]

2 days ago I got a great 5 min look at what either was a sharpie/coopers or merlin.

I did not get a pic. But I was perhaps only 20 feet from it as it perched on a low branch.

I have looked at various reference material and I am pretty sure it was a Merlin. But I know they are rare for this area and this season.

I posted it on ebird but won't be surprised if it is not accepted with no photo.

Here is what I observed:

Smaller than coopers. Definitely bigger than Kestrel.  Shorter tail than sharpie. Dark eye. (no yellow), Faint white eyebrow stripes. No mustache stripes. Vertical streaks on underside extending all the way down. Skinny legs of average length. Blocky but small head. Rounded tail. White band on end of tail, otherwise bands of dark and medium brown. Perched in a cottonwood near the far west pond (stream side).

Thoughts?

Ron Bolton, Berthoud

[Peter Ruprecht]

Hi Ron,

Were you able to see the length of the wings relative to the tail? On an accipiter, the wings are short and only reach the base of the tail. On a Merlin, the pointy wing tips would extend at least halfway down the tail. Also, regarding the tail striping: an immature accipiter will have gray and brown stripes of approximately equal width, while the Merlin has a dark tail with thin white bars.

Peter Ruprecht

Superior

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