What was the bird?

Unknown said:

I heard a lot of loud cawing and when I went to investigate and saw a hunting bird was on my lawn on top of a live crow, which was making all the noise. The crow was in it's talons. I only got a quick look at it before it took off again. I looked it's markings up straight away in my bird books and decided it was either a goshawk, peregrine or a female sparrow hawk. It's chest was barred with horizontal barring. We live right on the edge of open farmland with hills and woods close by. It wasn't a very long look that I got but it looked as if the hawk was about the same size as the crow or if anything slightly larger.

Just replied to another question on this Forum - regarding a Sparrowhawk.

This is a photograph of the one at the bottom of our garden ... in case it helps - although it might be a bit confusing if the one you saw was grey. The Juveniles and Females are different in colour to the adults I THINK (don't quote me though!)

I've never seen ours chase/catch anything larger than a Chaffinch though ... but I believe when they're REALLY hungry they'll try to strike something larger - like Pigeons and Jackdaws. So it could be yours was very hungry!

DD

Well I know it wasn't a male sparrowhawk as their chests are the orange barred effect. It may well have been a a female. Ther theory behind it perhaps being a goshawk or peregrine is that we think it caught the crow in the air, which is what the goshawk does. It was a rare sight to see here. If it had been there longer I could have seen more of it and perhaps worked out it's size. Thanks for your reply.

I'd be a bit surprised if it was a Sparrowhawk. Even females would find an adult crow a real handful. Did you note the eye colour. That would separate Goshawk from Peregrine straight away?

Hi,

we are assuming the crow was a Carrion Crow, so Peregrine seems likely on size :)

But.... . If it was a jackdaw then female Sparrowhawk is easily a possibility :)

We need more info :)

S