Keith that's a good point that Doc mentions....Overlap. That word alone speaks volumes in this instance where the average sizes of these 3 species are very similar to each other.
Rob is right, Keith, from that description there is no real definitive answer. Male & female birds of prey are often different sizes, sometimes quite considerably and individuals also vary in size. The three species mentioned all overlap in size so size can't be used for an ID in this instance, sorry.
Hi Keith, I'm sure someone might come up with a better answer than this but to be honest without any kind of a description as to colouration or wing shape etc then it would be difficult to say exactly what you saw. All 3 species you mention are roughly the same size anyway, and just because it wasn't hovering wouldn't necessarily suggest it wasn't a Kestrel, and 2 of those mentioned are Falcons not Hawks (don't want to sound as though I'm being a bit facetious there). Cheers Rob
