# Feather ID



## k9wernet

Somebody met his fate today. I found a pile of feathers in the woods today, which generally means somebody got picked apart by a hawk or owl.

However, these kind of look like hawk or owl feathers. The primary flight feathers indicate a fairly large bird, and the breast feathers (down, whatever) indicate a mottled breast like a barred owl or ruffed grouse (I know it's not a grouse)

The third type of feather (far left in first shot) has me scratching my head. the tip is rounded, which has me thinking tail feather, but the quill has a pretty pronounced curve. The tip is beige, whereas the rest of the feathers are kind of black and grey.

If anyone has any guesses, I'd love to hear them.

KW


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## fathom this

Hen turkey


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## kingfisher2

Yep, I agree Hen Turkey


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## Nature

Looks like coopers hawk to me. Here's a good site:
http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas/idresults.php


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## sfw1960

Maybe a Barred Owl??


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## fathom this

The medium size feather with the brown fringe on the tip gives it away as turkey.


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## MSUICEMAN

fathom this said:


> The medium size feather with the brown fringe on the tip gives it away as turkey.


yep.


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## wally-eye

Yep turkey it is.........


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## Nature

Hopefully this link works, looks like my other one don't.

http://www.lab.fws.gov/featheratlas


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## Mitchell Ulrich

*THOSE ARE DEFINATLEY RAPTOR FEATHERS!*

*WEATHER THEY ARE RED TAIL, COOPERS OR AN OWL IS IRRELEVANT. YOUR ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF CAUGHT WITH THEM!!! *

*PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.*

*THE DNR AND THE USFS WILL NOT CUT YOU ANY SLACK WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ISSUE!*

*GET RID OF THEM NOW!!!*

(Up to $10,000.00 and or 1 year in jail for just one feather!)
You guys can snipe back at me, contest the issue and carry on all you want. I've been a Taxidermist for close to 20 years now and have done Hawks, Owls, Falcons and Eagles for schools and members in the Native community, all under USFS permit. I know my feathers. I also know the Laws on the these feathers very well. I'm telling you and anyone who has one hidden away at home or at your hunting camp. You are playing with fire! Get rid of them!

*Mitch*


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## Mitchell Ulrich

This is an excerpt from the Taxidermy forum (type in HAWK MOUNT) and you'll see a lot of information about the fines. Also posted in that thread is this reply, which is in addition to the fines and jail time mentioned....

*JWICKLUND*








Yooper Moderator


 Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Iron County
Posts: 702 Photos: 5











*324.40119 Reimbursement of state for value of game or protected animal; forfeiture; payment; *

(1) In addition to the penalties provided for violating this part or an order issued under this part, and the penalty provided in section 36507, *a person convicted of* the illegal killing, *possessing*, purchasing, or selling, of *game or protected animals*, *in whole or in part*, *shall reimburse the state for the value of the game or protected animal as follows*:
(a) Bear, elk, *hawk,* moose, or any animal that appears on a list specified in section 36505, *$1,500.00 per animal*.


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## k9wernet

Mitchell Ulrich said:


> *THOSE ARE DEFINATLEY RAPTOR FEATHERS!*
> 
> *WEATHER THEY ARE RED TAIL, COOPERS OR AN OWL IS IRRELEVANT. YOUR ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF CAUGHT WITH THEM!!! *
> 
> *PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.*
> 
> *THE DNR AND THE USFS WILL NOT CUT YOU ANY SLACK WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ISSUE!*
> 
> *GET RID OF THEM NOW!!!*
> 
> (Up to $10,000.00 and or 1 year in jail for just one feather!)
> You guys can snipe back at me, contest the issue and carry on all you want. I've been a Taxidermist for close to 20 years now and have done Hawks, Owls, Falcons and Eagles for schools and members in the Native community, all under USFS permit. I know my feathers. I also know the Laws on the these feathers very well. I'm telling you and anyone who has one hidden away at home or at your hunting camp. You are playing with fire! Get rid of them!
> 
> *Mitch*


Thanks for the tip Mitch -- you're 100% correct. At the nature center we're licensed to keep raptor feathers for educational purposes. We have full mounts of owls and hawks that are pretty cool.

I've done some some research and I'm 100% certain that these are Cooper's Hawk feathers. Turkeys don't have any feathers like the down picured above. The barring on the wing feathers is different too.

I was thinking Barred Owl, Cooper's or Sharp-shinned. The pattern on an the owl's feathers doesn't "fade" like these. Coopers and sharpies are almost identical, except that sharpies' wing feathers don't get much over 5". These are 8" +.

I'm going w/ Cooper's.

KW


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## sfw1960

I'm sticking with a Barred.
We have a nesting pair on our property - so I've seen a feather or two of them left behind.
The belly underside of their feathers is lighter and those flight feathers are dead ringers when compared to the picture I posted.

 :lol:

I have 10-15 hen turkeys @ our bird feeder every day , and they leave PLENTY of feathers behind....
BTW - Coopers & Red Tails routinely snack on doves & such around here....
I won't post ANY pictures of feathers from around here .
:evil:


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## fathom this

Mitchell Ulrich said:


> *THOSE ARE DEFINATLEY RAPTOR FEATHERS!*
> 
> *WEATHER THEY ARE RED TAIL, COOPERS OR AN OWL IS IRRELEVANT. YOUR ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF CAUGHT WITH THEM!!! *
> 
> *PEOPLE DO NOT TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.*
> 
> *THE DNR AND THE USFS WILL NOT CUT YOU ANY SLACK WHEN IT COMES TO THIS ISSUE!*
> 
> *GET RID OF THEM NOW!!!*
> 
> (Up to $10,000.00 and or 1 year in jail for just one feather!)
> You guys can snipe back at me, contest the issue and carry on all you want. I've been a Taxidermist for close to 20 years now and have done Hawks, Owls, Falcons and Eagles for schools and members in the Native community, all under USFS permit. I know my feathers. I also know the Laws on the these feathers very well. I'm telling you and anyone who has one hidden away at home or at your hunting camp. You are playing with fire! Get rid of them!
> 
> *Mitch*


 I don't know what you guys are smoking :lol::lol::lol::lol:
Those are definitely turkey feathers.
Bard owl has a light colored fringe on the end of the wing feathers, not dark as the one in photo..
Bard owl does not have the brown tipped rounded feathers like the one in thye photo.


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## sfw1960

fathom this said:


> I don't know what you guys are smoking :lol::lol::lol::lol:
> Those are definitely turkey feathers.
> Bard owl has a light colored fringe on the end of the wing feathers, not dark as the one in photo..
> Bard owl does not have the brown tipped rounded feathers like the one in thye photo.


Evidently NOT as good as what you've got....
We can at least spell Barred Owl & "the" correctly....


PUFF away!
:lol:  :lol:


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## fathom this

sfw1960 said:


> Evidently NOT as good as what you've got....
> We can at least spell Barred Owl & "the" correctly....
> 
> 
> PUFF away!
> :lol:  :lol:


 OUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Harass and Harangue me English teacher/ornithologist. I guess speed in this case did kill me even if I was typing a quick note.


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## fathom this

The USFWS has a very good picture of Barred owl flight feathers on its feather atlas.
The OP's pictures show flight feathers with consistent width bands across the feather. A Barred owl has triangular shaped bands. Also the coloration of the OP's feathers is not the same as the Barred owl color.
The number one suspect is still a hen Eastern Wild Turkey. IMO
I have been trying to put the picture on this post, but to no avail.
Can you find it and put it up Mike?


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## BradU20

I'd love for anyone who said turkey to show me where those light barred breast feathers are located on a hen turkey???

You guys have seen a turkey, before, haven't you 









You're on the right track Kevin.


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## duxdog

Raptor of some sorts. Cooper, Goss,Marsh whatever. Man you sure blew him apart with the shot.:lol::lol::lol:


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## fathom this

BradU20 said:


> I'd love for anyone who said turkey to show me where those light barred breast feathers are located on a hen turkey???
> 
> You guys have seen a turkey, before, haven't you
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You're on the right track Kevin.


Show me where the brown tipped rounded feather is on a Barred owl.


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## mike the pike

You guys cant tell this from that. If you can see the yellow in the pics ...please udjust your monitor


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## fathom this

I know what these feathers are. A Barred Owl attacked a hen turkey and this is what the end result was.:lol::lol::lol::lol:


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## k9wernet

fathom this said:


> The USFWS has a very good picture of Barred owl flight feathers on its feather atlas.


Yep, that's where I went to identify those as Cooper's Hawk



BradU20 said:


> I'd love for anyone who said turkey to show me where those light barred breast feathers are located on a hen turkey???


My thoughts exactly. On top of that, the stripe pattern is wrong on the flight feathers, and they're too small for a mature turkey.










If you want to compare for yourself I'll show you some photos and give my thought process. Here's my bird:










Here's a Barred Owl:










Notice the striping on the wing extends to both sides of the owl quill, just like it did on the turkey. On mine, the left (narrow) side is almost all black and it sort of fades into the striping on the right side. Not a barred owl.

Here's a Cooper's and Sharp-shinned.



















Almost identical, except for size. I'm going to stick with Cooper's Hawk based on size.

Unfortunately, the database only contains flight feathers. I'm still puzzled as to the source of the rounded feather. Looking at a Cooper's Hawk,










You can see where it can contain those lighter, rustier brown colors. I'm just not sure where on the bird's body that feather would be located with its curved quill and rounded tip.

For those who say turkey, I'll admit that one does look like a turkey feather. However, as I said in the original post, these feathers were all in one big pile (along with 100 more) as if a raptor sat on a branch plucking its prey. Is it possible that a turkey feather just happened to be in the same spot? Sure. I don't find it terribly likely though.

KW


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## sfw1960

While I admit those _flight feathers_ do look more like a Cooper's than a Barred , the breast/underbelly DO look like a barred , and I'm STILL NOT going to post pictures from around here.
:evilsmile

_*Fact of the matter is:*_ These could be from one or a multiple of birds and there could have been two Raptors in a throw down over a turkey , or even a smaller snack sized prey.
Bottom line ~

*"YOU DON'T KNOW!!!"*

:lol: :lol: :lol:

So even if you insist you do - I'm done reading this thread....
Don't PM you opinion either , or I'll just delete it.....

LMAO!!!

:evilsmile

LATER!
:coolgleam
RAS


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## Mitchell Ulrich

Turkeys don't have the white or the same Barr pattern on their brest feathers.
The only white on our Eastern Hen or Tom, is in wing, and in a few cases tail feathers. There are other mutations that occur like Smokey or albino, but the feathers shown are from the same bird.


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## k9wernet

sfw1960 said:


> _*Fact of the matter is:*_ These could be from one or a multiple of birds and there could have been two Raptors in a throw down over a turkey


Ok, I'm changing my official opinion. Here's what happened:



> It's dawn. A lone juvenile female turkey stops at the bike path to pick some grit. She hears a rush of feathers, lifts her head and... WHAM! A Cooper's Hawk sinks his talons into her.
> 
> As he begins his ascent, the Hawk remembers hearing a faint "Who cooks for you, who cooks for you all?" as he sat on his perch only moments ago. He glances over his shoulder but it's too late. He has no eyes. Deep in his eye sockets are the talons of the Barred Owl.
> 
> The pain is momentary though, as both raptors are snatched out of the air by a Cougar. The Cougar devours the two birds and feathers fly. Suddenly, a Sasquatch grabs the cat and eats it whole. Full and happy, the Sasquatch lays down for his daytime slumber (Sasquatches are nocturnal, of course).
> 
> As he drifts off, the Dogman of Lake County (vacationing to Lansing) clocks him over the head with a rock and eats the Sasquatch -- bones, entrails and all. The Dogman returns to Lake County.
> 
> The turkey, (unharmed but for the loss of a single feather) ambles off to live another day.


And to think, I just missed all the action!. :chillin:

KW


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## aslongasitpullsback

sfw1960 said:


> Maybe a Barred Owl??


I would like to know what happened to this guy....!!!!
talking about getting in trouble for having raptor feather in your possession!!!!!
I hope there is a good reason why you have this bird.... or did you just do a search and posted this pic?


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## k9wernet

aslongasitpullsback said:


> I would like to know what happened to this guy....!!!!
> talking about getting in trouble for having raptor feather in your possession!!!!!
> I hope there is a good reason why you have this bird.... or did you just do a search and posted this pic?


Looks like he flew into a window, screen door, windshield, shotgun blast... SOMETHING!

KW


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