steppe buzzrd? doñana spain (1 Viewer)

I noticed the bird while I was driving near el Rocio. It was rather low at that point (just taken off?) but before I had stopped the car it was gaining quickly height flying in circles. Have not seen the upperparts. It looks like a steppe buzzard but is it one?
Would appreciate any comments.
regards,
Geert

Looks fine for a common buzzard, not sure what it is that makes you think steppe, unless I'm missing something (which is very possible with the gin I'm drinking tonight! ;-) )

Thanks Nick, it looked different from the buzzards I am used to see up here. Very dark almost no necklace. Base of the primaries seemed very light. Expected that it would turn out to be a common buzzard but had to ask it this way to rule out that I was missing something (except for the gin)
Regards,
Geert

I think the tail barring is something you might expect to see in Steppe, but the underside belly and breast look way too dark. The area is good for a possible Steppe, but as I say there is room for doubt on this one and if in doubt.... maybe should be put down as the most likely which would be C.Buzzard. You see many C.Buzzard Nick with such defined barring and sub terminal band on the tail? I don't see them with this characteristic in my area of Spain.

Peter :t:

Black Wheatear said:

The area is good for a possible Steppe...

You see many C.Buzzard Nick with such defined barring and sub terminal band on the tail?

Peter :t:

Click to expand...

Hi
area is good for possible Steppe ????????

Just back from Tanzania with few Steppe Buzzards because most of them currently in South Africa, there were many more in December in Tanzania. There seems to be a huge misunderstanding about what a real Steppe Buzzard is: a long distance migrant wintering far into the southern hemisphere.

Yes there are these intergrades in Finland and nobody really knows what these birds are doing, but with all the difficulties IDing real Steppe Buzzards, how do you want to ID intergrades wintering in funny places. IMHO, but I might be wrong every real Steppe Buzzard will have left Europe by october (and some obviously pass by Southern Spain).

As to the barring this bird is extremely well marked but we see such birds in Luxembourg although the vast majority is less marked.