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Raptor with white bits, Benacre, Suffolk (1 Viewer)

Megaquetzal

Member
I assumed that this bird was a Marsh Harrier when first seen but was surprised at the amount of white in the plumage when looking at the photos. Any comments?
 

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I've watched quite a few in the last few weeks,.. seen them most days,.. and I ain't seen one like that. I don't think that's a Marsh Harrier, but I'm b#####ed if I know what it is. I look forward to the opinions of others. Did it fly like a Marsh Harrier?
 
Its missing the white head of a Juv/female harrier, (which is what it looks like, if you chop its head off) Def aint a Marshy
 
bitterntwisted said:
I've watched quite a few in the last few weeks,.. seen them most days,.. and I ain't seen one like that. I don't think that's a Marsh Harrier, but I'm b#####ed if I know what it is. I look forward to the opinions of others. Did it fly like a Marsh Harrier?


I only saw it briefly on 2 occasions (hence the dodgy photos!). It was circling low down at the edge of a wood when I first saw it and landed in a bush but was too far away to get a good look. When I approached it took off, again circling to gain height then disappeared off over the trees. I saw it again later flying low towards me over arable land. It went over a hedge and was last seen heading towards Southwold. It was a similar size to a Marsh Harrier and I'd photographed one earlier in the day so I assumed that was what it was.
 

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Well, it doesn't look much like a Marsh Harrier, or at least 100% Marsh Harrier.
I can't escape the feeling that it looks rather Swainson's Hawk like (or at least a Buteo), especially the head, but don't recall ever seeing one like this! The white belly would be far more extensive on Swainson's Hawk, and both the tail and wings are un-barred which throws out a lot of other alternatives.
I'm totally stumped on this one!
 
The uneven distribution of white in the plumage, plus the fact it doesn't match up to anything else, points to the fact that its a leucistic bird. This is a dark juv Marsh Harrier with some white bits!
 
Bird Hard 2 said:
Well, it doesn't look much like a Marsh Harrier, or at least 100% Marsh Harrier.
I can't escape the feeling that it looks rather Swainson's Hawk like (or at least a Buteo), especially the head, but don't recall ever seeing one like this! The white belly would be far more extensive on Swainson's Hawk, and both the tail and wings are un-barred which throws out a lot of other alternatives.
I'm totally stumped on this one!
its not a swainsons a swainson is an accipiter not a buteo,initially it looks like a harris hawk but its white tips arnt evident on the tail,im a bit lost whats the chances of you getting out there and getting some better pics?
 
shortwing said:
its not a swainsons a swainson is an accipiter not a buteo,

I have no clue what the bird is (White-Bitted Buzzard?) but Swainson's Hawk is most definitely a Buteo - Buteo Swainsoni, quite logically.
 
It's a harris hawk, shape, body size, low flying over trees, stare ahead glare. White bits not that uncommon, maybe result of inbreeding or maybe variable like buzzard.
 
It looks weird... for some reason not that harrier-like.
-edit- I'll go along with Harris' Hawk. That explains its buzzard-like head...
 
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Frenchy said:
The uneven distribution of white in the plumage, plus the fact it doesn't match up to anything else, points to the fact that its a leucistic bird. This is a dark juv Marsh Harrier with some white bits!
I agree, the middle pic of the three looks especially Marsh Harrier-like (less the white!!)
 
I would also like to state that I believe the bird to have been a Marsh Harrier, albeit a partial albino Marsh Harrier. Agree with Frenchy that it's basically a dark juvenile.
Regards,
Harry
 
Just to throw in a comparison bird - a juvenile Marsh Harrier photographed a few weeks back, white restricted to one set of primaries
 

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