Raptor Id (for A Change!)

[Steve G]

Roll up roll up & name the birdie, no coconuts for this one!

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Steve,

Looks like juv Hobby to me, except I'm rather baffled by the bright green feet. I'm not aware of any falcon with green feet. Hybrid with Moorhen, by any chance?!? Or just a photo effect?

Michael

[Colin]

Looks a bit bulky to me with deep wings for a Hobby. Is this a non WP bird?

[Billy Boy]

Forgive me for being dense, Colin, but what do you mean "is this a non WP bird"

P.S. Where abouts in Brum are you? I lived in Brum for 30 years.

Billy Boy

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Billy,

'Non WP' means not in the Western Palaearctic - i.e., not Europe, North Africa or the Middle East

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

Lightened the pic a bit in Photoshop to see if that would make i.d. any easier.

I'm still baffled by those lurid green feet it has.

Michael

[Billy Boy]

Thanks for clearing that up Michael.:t:

Billy Boy

[Billy Boy]

Could it possibly be a Saker or a Lanner?

Billy Boy

[satrow]

Hi all,

On first glance - young Hobby - but maybe wings are too short, then I remembered the Barbary Falcon I watched for a few minutes some years ago - too far back in distance and time to compare though. Is it small enough for Merlin? - wing and tail pattern seem good.....moustache and underbody though.........? How different is the N. American race?

Puzzled,

Andy.

[Charles Harper]

In NA Merlin, nice streaking turns into blotchiness at the lower belly and undertail coverts are clear buff. Moustache doesn't show strongly as a separate entity. I like Hobby, though it does look a bit chunky and short-winged; but I have never seen Lanner or Saker Falcons.

[Steve G]

Hey folks thats no way to talk about a lady!.......... green feet indeed! Definitely a WP bird & not a hybrid. The bird is about to stoop but imagine the wings outstretched -the "arm" is longer than it appears & the "hand is long" -this is a long-winged bird with biggish pectorals(muscles!)

[Michael Frankis]

Is it named after the famous Irish ornithologist Elly O'Nora?

Michael

[Michael Frankis]

I did wonder about Eleonora's earlier, but decided not, on the basis that (according to the Collins guide) juv Eleonora's should show more contrast between darker coverts and paler primaries & secondaries - this bird hardly shows much contrast there. But the streaked undertail coverts fits.

And whatever Steve says, there's still those green feet . . .

Michael

[Billy Boy]

You've lost me folks.:h?:

Billy Boy

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Billy,

That's Eleonora's Falcon, a Mediterranean species, similar to Hobby (particularly as a juvenile), but somewhat larger. One of the clues that I used was knowing that Steve had posted a fair few gallery photos from Lesvos (one of the Greek islands), which is one of the places it occurs.

Michael

[Billy Boy]

Thanks Michael, much appreciated.

Billy Boy

[jayhunter]

Much better photo brightened up Michael, but I would still have gone for Lanner or Saker falcons. But have never seen an Eleonora's falcon, and I don't think I have come across reference to one before.

[Steve G]

Lady Eleonora it is .............. This class act hangs around on Mediterranean headlands in late Spring, Summer & into late Autumn. The lady comes in 2 phases but plumage in the field seems much more variable than the field guides suggest. This is a pale phase juv. the lady in dark "evening" dress is much more elegant. As befits the well-heeled Winter is spent in exotic parts (Madagascar). Eleonora's is a socialite nesting colonially. Games of tag & chases between youngsters are occasionally disrupted by the odd Dragonfly nimbly caught by sleight of foot. These birds time their breeding so that fledged youngsters have a glut of returning northern migrants to feast on. The bird pictured broke off play to nail a Northern Wheatear but alas the action was too fast for me to catch on film. If you ever visit Mallorca get up to the lighthouse on the Formentor penninsula where the Lady is in residence from early May to end of October. If you can get there in autumn be prepared for a feast of aerobatics whilst the Lady feasts on migrants. If you go in Spring check out the S'Albufera as Eleonora's are often seen there hawking for Dragonflies from mid-April onwards. This is a bird that never fails to make an impression!

[Michael Frankis]

Hi Bob,

I've never seen Eleonora's either!

Of course Steve's other big clue is "Hey folks thats no way to talk about a lady!.......... " — Eleonora's is one of very few birds (and the only raptor) named after a woman

Michael

[Charles Harper]

I think there's lots of birds with women's names-- Lucy's Warbler, Lady Amherst's Pheasant, Victoria's Riflebird, Anna's Hummingbird spring immediately to mind, so there must be many more I don't know. Birdman?-- where's your search engine?

[Reader]

If you want to see Eleonora's in fairly large numbers, whilst on Mallorca, try and get on a boat that goes towards the isle of Cabrera. Unless it has changed you can only land on there as an organised group as it is a military garrison, but on the way you will pass one or two small islands where Eleonara's breed, or they did when I went there. The island is below the far south eastern shores of Majorca.

[birdman]

How about these, Charles...

Josephine's Lorikeet
Alexandra's Parrot
Stephanie's Astrapia
Carola's Parotia
Mrs. Moreau's Warbler
Laura's Woodland-Warbler
Ursula's Sunbird
Johanna's Sunbird
Mrs. Gould's Sunbird
Rachel's Malimbe
Virginia's Warbler
Lilian's Meadowlark

Can't do much, but I sure can read a list!!! ;)

(All I need now is someone to let me know... well... actually Josephine's Lorikeet was discovered by Monsieur Alphonse Josephine in 1832....)

[jayhunter]

Thanks Michael and Steve loads of really interesting "gen" I must admit that raptors and kingfishers are really of special interest to me. I thought that was what W.P. meant but wasn't 100% sure.

[Andrew Whitehouse]

Interesting to reflect that a lot of the birds named after women are named after given names whereas with the birds named after men it's usually the surname.

[Harry Hussey]

Hi all,
Firstly,I'd have guessed Hobby for this one!Must check those field guides....
Secondly,Thekla Lark was also named after a female(a German ornithologist's daughter)
Harry H

[Sumit]

I can add Mrs. Hume's Pheasant from our parts. What about Isabelline Wheatear?
Sumit

[hutch]

treads like this are one of the main reasons i call here at least every other night the knowledge it amazes me

[satrow]

I think Isabelline Wheatear is named for it's colour, which in turn was named after the Spanish Queen (it was 'discovered' by one of her subjects perhaps?).

Andy.

[Steve G]

Or my old teacher: Lily Trotter!

[Steve G]

............. and of course Hazel Grouse

[cspratt]

Anna's Hummingbird was named after Anna Massena, Duchess of Rivoli. She was a patron of the sciences.

[Steve G]

Here's a few more pics of Eleonora at play & in hunting mode. Take the spouse & kids to Mallorca & see her for yourself:-

[Bluetail]

Blackburnian Warbler

[Michael Frankis]

Originally posted by Spar
Lady Amerhusrt(?) spelling pheasant.
Spar

I think Lady Amherst usually spelled it 'peasant' . . .

Or was that when she was referring to the local people who brought the bird to her?

3:-)

Michael

[Dave B Smith]

And don't forget
Fernandina's Flicker
Goldie's Lorikeet
Lilian's Lovebird
...