However identification is more challenging in June and early July when the juvenile peregrines are flying around town. What time of year is it? Peregrines and red-tails live in western Pennsylvania year round so the time of year doesn’t eliminate either bird due to migration. If the bird does not have these features it’s neither a falcon nor a hawk and you can stop right there. Is it a bird of prey? Birds of prey eat meat so they have hooked beaks (see the tip of the beak) and talons (big claws). To make this manageable I’ll address the most common identification question faced by city folks: Is this bird a peregrine falcon or a red-tailed hawk? First, ask yourself several key questions. In western Pennsylvania you can see up to nine hawk and three falcon species depending on time of year and habitat. Right off the bat I’m going to narrow the scope. Today I’ll tell you how to identify the birds yourself. Telling the difference between a falcon and a hawk is a common identification problem, so common that people often ask me for help. How could she be sure it’s not a peregrine? Katie Cunningham sent me photographs of the bird and asked, “Is this a falcon or a hawk?” She guessed it was a hawk and she was right (it’s an immature red-tailed hawk). Last Thursday at lunchtime a bird of prey caused quite a stir in downtown Pittsburgh when it perched on a light fixture and very publicly ate a pigeon.
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