Feather identification?

[Paulm]

Found this while out looking for mushrooms this afternoon, it was on the edge of oak and birch woodland opening onto heath/scrubland in Hampshire.

Wondering what it might be from ? Looks quite distinctive with the solid coloured tip and the horizontal bars but can't find a good source online to id it. Thinking it may be from a sparrowhawk or other bird of prey ?



Cheers, Paul

 

[Macaroon]

Hard to tell from the picture, but it looks a lot like Buzzard to me............the adult birds are still teaching the young to hunt, down along our bit of the valley and there are feathers galore from the little'uns...........atb mac

 

[Paulm]

Wondered about buzzard, we do have them round here together with red kites......

Cheers, Paul

 

[Bowlander]

Perfect match to Kestrel in the 'Tracks and Signs' field guide.

 

[woodstock]

It looks a little bit big for a Kestrel i think young Buzzard.

 

[Bowlander]

Field guide gives the length of Kes tail feathers as 167mm. Buzzard tail feathers 246mm.

 

[Bowlander]

 

[Paulm]

Looks spot on for the kestrel feather after I googled for some pics of them

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgu...IbUvfIKKeX7QaDn4GgAQ&ved=0CDEQ9QEwAA&dur=2647

Thanks Bowlander

Cheers, Paul