• Welcome to BirdForum, the internet's largest birding community with thousands of members from all over the world. The forums are dedicated to wild birds, birding, binoculars and equipment and all that goes with it.

    Please register for an account to take part in the discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.
ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Raptor silhouette. Goshawk?? (1 Viewer)

Richard

Well-known member
I believe the hastily snapped photos attached are a female Goshawk. Is there anyone experienced enough to agree (or disagree) with these magnified silhouettes?

Whilst enjoying an afternoon walk near the River Trent near Nottingham this 'grey monster' casually flew overhead. Gliding some 50m above me it barely flapped it's wings. When overhead the wings (especially the secondaries) looked even broader than they appear in the photos. The bird was bulky with a chunky body. The tail was longer than a Buzzard and I would guess not as long as a Honey Buzzard. I have seen Buzzard as close as this before but not Goshawk. This wasn't a Buzzard. The books say how powerful Goshawk look but my previously quite far off views of them did not compare at all. I was hoping that the pics would show more underside detail but with the eye of faith barring of the underwings is visible.

I cannot think what else it could be.

Richard
 

Attachments

  • RaptorA.jpg
    RaptorA.jpg
    29.6 KB · Views: 615
  • RaptorB.jpg
    RaptorB.jpg
    22.5 KB · Views: 405
Hi Richard,

I must admit this looks a lot like a Common Buzzard to me. The underwing pattern, as far as can be seen, seems to me to be much more in line with Buzzard than Goshawk, particularly the black tips to the primaries, apparently unbarred inner primaries and black 'comma' mark. I don't think it looks to long tailed for a Buzzard either.
 
Buteo buteo for me also: long roundtipped wings (compared to Accipiter gentilis' short narrowtipped) + "ordinary" tail (compared to gentilis' long). -B. lagopus would have much paler underparts, especially wings & tail.
 
Buzzard tails can look amazingly long (especially if you are in Honey Buzzard or Goshawk territory!) or suprisingly short. Add to that the variable plumage from ghostly pale birds through fox red to almost black birds they can always spring a suprise.

Good shots though for a "flyover" bird.
 
I saw a buzzard just like that last week at Eyebrook reservoir that had a few of us fooled for a time - all thinking, "goshawk"... but, no such luck.
 
Thanks for making me feel better. At least I didn't rush and tell anyone (everyone) as there was doubt in my mind.

Richard
 
Warning! This thread is more than 20 years ago old.
It's likely that no further discussion is required, in which case we recommend starting a new thread. If however you feel your response is required you can still do so.

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top