The Bird Thread

There are many other differences to tell the two birds apart. The one thing you mentioned is something that is the same (or similar) on both. The pale supercilium (which is what I think you mean by little dart of pale colour) is one way of telling its a Sparrowhawk, as is the overall brown colour, Peregrines are dark grey and white with a pale face but a black cap and a black teardrop extending over the cheeks). The length of the tail and the barring on it, the warm tones of the breast and thigh feathers, (peregrines are very cold toned) and the fact that it’s eating the prey on the ground are also indicative. Sparrowhawk almost always eat like that, and can be approached quite close. Peregrines may kill their prey on the ground after striking it in flight but unless it is too big they’ll carry it off to a high perch to pluck and eat it. I’ve seen peregrines take Shelducks and eat them, but on salt marshes where they won’t get disturbed easily. Mostly they strike birds smaller than themselves and fly directly to a pylon or rooftop with it.