Help me identify this bird?

[hokankai]

There's a bird I'm worried is stalking my flock, but I can't get a good look at it and it's REALLY fast. All I've been able to figure out is that it's super fast, and that it's brown/gray with white at the base of its tail on its back. It was fairly big, but not big enough for me to say it was a hawk.

The first time I saw it I had my chicks in a rat playpen, which was covered. One of the chicks jumped on top of a box I had in there and then all of a sudden WOOSH, the bird zoomed right over the playpen, looking like it was swooping to get that chick. It was there and gone past the house in an instant.

The second time I saw it fly off and it looked like it landed on a tree trunk like a woodpecker, but I could be wrong.

The last time I went out of the shop, which is near the chicken coop, and it flew away again. It had been sitting on a dead stump near the chicken coop and looked like it was watching them in the run.

Any ideas on what on earth it could be? I've kept the chickens locked up for the last two days because I don't know what it is

 

[nurse_turtle]

Woodpeckers aren't carnivores or predators of chickens so I would vote no on the woodpecker. There are many types of hawks, some that are quite small. Maybe google "sharp-shinned hawk" and notice his regular size, just as a reference. Also can google "hawk identification" and look for the varmit. Also mocking birds as well as others can be very territorial when nesting. Good luck with your ID.

 

[Kyle241]

Could it be a 'Strike'? They will take small birds and are very fast. Likely smaller than what you saw.

http://www.google.com/search?q=shri...=X&ei=OIcKTqKuKZSr0AGo6Nln&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQsAQ

How about a Peregrine Falcon?

http://www.google.com/search?q=pere...=X&ei=2ocKTsiqF9O00AGZod13&sqi=2&ved=0CEUQsAQ

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

brown/gray with white at the base of its tail

landed on a tree trunk like a woodpecker

It's probably a harmless Flicker

Woodpeckers aren't carnivores or predators of chickens so I would vote no on the woodpecker

It didn't attack the chickens.
That part is all speculation

A hawk wouldn't land on the side of a tree

 

[Cetawin]

Peregrine falcon are small and.lethal to chicks if.given the chance. Look them up see if it matches and they are very fast

 

[hokankai]

Thanks you guys! I'm gonna try and get another glimpse of it tomorrow if it comes around. I wish it would make some vocalization or something, haha.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

A peregrin really is not that small, a merlin or a kestrel is considerably smaller. Kestrels are very colourful, without much white. Merlins have a fair amount of white. whatbird.com is excellent in helping identify birds. About what size was the bird--if you can relate it to being similar in size to say a pigeon or mockingbird or whatever, we can maybe help you identify it better. While hawks and falcons are very ulikely to land on hte vertical side of a tree trunk, if there is enough of an angle to the trunk, they might.


I suggest getting tarp or shadecloth or even a sheet or shower curtain and covering the birds' pen so that they cannot be seen, especially from above.

 

[bryan99705]

Throw a fruit tree net over the run and don't worry about it. A lot of birds are curious and many will kill easy prey to feed their young. Simply remove the bird from the problem with netting