merlin or kestrel???

[tom fellegy]

i have a raptor hunting around my yard that is either a merlin or a kestrel. the colors are a little different than the pictures in the bird book. i am thinking merlin because of the size of the bird and the wingspan. i have googled birds and came up with a few web sites, are there any other ones that are favored by people on this site. thanks..........tom

i forgot to say this is in central minnesota on the shores of lake mille lacs

[MN Shutterbug]

I have 2 good ones saved. One is from the Cornell University and the other one is called "what bird is it?"

[B. Amish]

i like the cornell site also.

[jonny_redhorse]

Tom,Here's an image of a merlin I took about the same time last year.....not the clearest but shows some of the details of a merlin....

[Dave S]

I wouldn't know of any good references to use, but what has me curious is if the bird is either a Merlin or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk.

I have a lot of Kestrels in my area, but never have them come close to my yard. They're always perched atop the power lines watching over the ditch. The sharp-shinned hawks on the other hand, I see them buzzing through the yard on a regular basis.