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Raptor from South Africa (1 Viewer)

doug_newman

Well-known member
Hi all.

This raptor has caused much debate and much disagreement. I am leaning towards the barred race of European Honey Buzzard?
 

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Thats not the head of a honey buzzard for sure... looks more like an eagle sp to me

bur being unfamiliar with SA Raptors i can only say what its not... not what it is...
 
First thing that springs to my mind when looking at the pic is African Cuckoo-Hawk. The head shape looks quite right, the whitish throat fits an immature (which this bird is according to pale fringes to the wing coverts).

I also thought about Western banded Snake Eagle because of the broad dark subterminal tail band and the somewhat compact shape (the 2 species of Banded Snake Eagle shows a slightly different shape compared to others Circaetus) but it would be out of range in South Africa (closest breeding population are found along the Zambezi, Chobe, Okavango rivers complex) and the head doesn't look very rounded, the tarsi look too long and thin as well. Compare with this WBSE:http://www.hows.org.uk/inter/birds/gambia/snakeagle.jpg

So immature African Cuckoo Hawk is my best bet (though I am a bit unconfortable with the tail: seems very broad, but it could be due to the bird position)
 
I think it was photographed in Limpopo somwhere. The only thing though is that if you look at the very broad terminal bar and the lack of even spaced baring higher up the tail, both Black-chested Snake-eagle and African Cuckoo-hawk are immediately excluded.
 

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Ok here's a wild one - how about Osprey?

The crested head is right and looks to have a dark eyestripe, the terminal tail bar is correct, the white throat and leggings, and there is a white shoulder flash.

Waiting to be shot down in flames

Allan
 
I think it was photographed in Limpopo somwhere. The only thing though is that if you look at the very broad terminal bar and the lack of even spaced baring higher up the tail, both Black-chested Snake-eagle and African Cuckoo-hawk are immediately excluded.

So is Western Banded Snake Eagle a possibility in Limpopo?
 
I think it was photographed in Limpopo somwhere. The only thing though is that if you look at the very broad terminal bar and the lack of even spaced baring higher up the tail, both Black-chested Snake-eagle and African Cuckoo-hawk are immediately excluded.

I think most of the tail pattern can be concealed, depending on the position of the wings.

Have a look at these pictures from the African bird club, especially pictures 2 and 3:http://www.birdquest.net/afbid/search.php?func=searchresult&af_bs_id=231
 
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