Young kestrel?

[south view 7]

can anyone confirm if this is a young kestrel that i found outside our garden wall tonight.

[Kenn]

What size was it? It could be but I'm not sure.

[Jeemag_USA]

Here is another picture I found of a juvenile kestrel if it helps.

It most likely is a Kestrel, its the most common bird of that size in the area, if it is not it would probably either be a Sparrowhawk or a Hobby which is a little harder to find.

[Ricco]

Certainly not a sparrowhawk - their eyes are yellow. Most probably a young kestrel. I used to see lots of kestrel nests up in the highlands, often in farm buildings.

[Rheghead]

I'd say it was a young kestrel.

[Pterodroma]

Hi south view 7

How big was your young raptor? Looks a bit like a juvenile Merlin - I would expect a juv Kestrel to more heavily streaked across the breast - but difficult to judge from your photo without any indication of size.

[south view 7]

Hi south view 7

How big was your young raptor? Looks a bit like a juvenile Merlin - I would expect a juv Kestrel to more heavily streaked across the breast - but difficult to judge from your photo without any indication of size.

Hi Pterdroma, it is 7 inche"s high and 10 inche"s from head to tail.

[sharky]

It's a kestral

[south view 7]

It's a kestral

Thank you sharky,thought it was.

[Pterodroma]

Sorry to disagree with Sharky, but at only 10 inches its a Merlin.

[sharky]

I never looked at the measurements but based it on the colouration as juvenile merlins are usually darker in colour. It looks like the one I rehabilitated a couple of years ago.

[kas]

I had a look at a book I have and it looks very like a young Kestrel to me. Although I could easyily be wrong.

Hopefully Nirofro will be along and I am sure he will know.

[south view 7]

here is a better photograph.

[KittyMay]

Tricky one. I thought young Kestrel initially but could be Merlin. You don't know what colour his back is, do you?

[sharky]

If that's a merlin I'll eat me hat.

[Pterodroma]

As much as I would like to see the spectacle, there is no need for Sharky to eat her/his hat! On that last photo it is clearly a Kestrel.

[south view 7]

Kestrel now returned to wild.