Crete raptor ID please (1 Viewer)

Dave Smith

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #1

We saw a pair of these (see first pic) circling high above the Minoan site of Lato in the Lasithi province of Crete on 31 May 2009. The only raptors mentioned locally were the Griffin Vulture (2nd pic) and the rarer Lammergeier. I don't think it is either. We did see 3 GVs in a different area and I am also attaching an image for comparison. Sorry about the quality of the pics, they were taken with an IXUS 970 camera and have been heavily cropped.

 

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njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jun 22, 2009

• #2

First one has to be a buteo.

Niels

 

Cristian Mihai

Cristian Mihai

• Jun 22, 2009

• #3

Hi Dave,

I'm guessing a (kind of) Buzzard...

P.S. It seems that Niels was faster...

 

Dave Smith

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #4

njlarsen said:

First one has to be a buteo.

Niels

Click to expand...

Thanks Neis and Cristian. I hadn't considered something as common as a Common Buzzard. Perhaps I should have done because the island, at least in the East were almost entirely as commonly found in the UK. The Griffin Vulture and Hooded Crows were the only "exotic" birds we saw. It was mostly chaffinches, house sparrows, robins, wrens, etc etc that we saw or heard.

Dave

 

T

Th_SQ

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #5

Dave Smith said:

as common as a Common Buzzard.

Click to expand...

There is a possibility of it being a Long-legged Buzzard (as structure and plumage may show). Other pictures ?

 

Dave Smith

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #6

Th_SQ said:

There is a possibility of it being a Long-legged Buzzard (as structure and plumage may show). Other pictures ?

Click to expand...

Sorry - only have the one.

Dave

 

Dave Smith

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #7

If it helps, the carpal patches were very obvious visually but don't show well on the picture.

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jun 22, 2009

• #8

Dave Smith said:

If it helps, the carpal patches were very obvious visually but don't show well on the picture.

Click to expand...

if you lighten the original, does it show a dark belly band?

Niels

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Jun 22, 2009

• #9

that's right, niels. these dark patches are just in the right place for rufinus. it could be an immature (2cy) LLB, could be common buzzard, which occurs on the island commonly. see flnak patches e.g. here:
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures/bird...aage-KonchangelKasakhstan-06072005-MWABIG.jpg
variable in darkness, many look as pale as this: http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=2099

 

Last edited: Jun 23, 2009

Dave Smith

Well-known member

• Jun 22, 2009

• #10

njlarsen said:

if you lighten the original, does it show a dark belly band?

Niels

Click to expand...

No not really. The above photo is the original except for an enormous crop - do feel free to have a play.

There were two of them and they looked identical.

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Jun 23, 2009

• #11

Here is a go at it. The two lines point towards what might be an incomplete breast band. The problem is that it is difficult to be sure.

I also increased size of the image, in addition to lightening/increased contrast; I dont see anything now that I did not see before changing light.

Niels

Edit: excuse that I first uploaded a different format, .jpg added

 

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Last edited: Jun 23, 2009

C

CAU

Well-known member

• Jun 23, 2009

• #12

I'm inclined towards Common Buzzard, as the tail has a dark subterminal band (which only adult dark morph Long-legged have, but they have a uniformly dark underbody and underwing coverts). The plumage also completely lacks rufous tones and the wing pattern also fits CB, i.e. the lesser underwing coverts look very dark but the median are pale.