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Mystery Raptor (1 Viewer)

AStevenson

Well-known member
No clues! - just thought this was an interesting angle which may confuse or maybe not.

Cheers
Andrew
 

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very interesting! and interesting state of tail moult

My first (slightly under the influence guess is Osprey) Though on reflection its does seem awfully dark... I switch to Marsh Harrier
 
Andrew

Looking at the tail projection only I would go for Goshawk in display, but the wings are too long, going for Kestrel.
 
Harrier?

The structure of the tail is somewhat peculiar (moult?), but the overall impression is "harrier" to me. Slender overall image with small head and relatively tiny beak.
Regards Jouke
 
Umm, difficult, but looking at the angle and trying to convert/turn the perspectives in what is left of my brain, then I am prepared to make a complete idiot of myself and go for Common Buzzard!!
 
Andrew

Looking at the tail projection only I would go for Goshawk in display, but the wings are too long, going for Kestrel.


I'd go along with that based on the elongated central tail feathers, sometimes seen in common kestrel. Wings are always a difficulty in single photographs. The bloody birds will keep moving them.
 
Hello Andrew, any chance of another clue, like where was the photo taken. I would go for Golden eagle first choice or Common buzzard second choice.

PS. Amazingly I have reached my 1,000th thread.

ROD.
 
Couldn't possibly say where it was taken.

However, I thought this might be a good test to see how difficult birds can be to ID from a single photo - was tempted to put it on the ID forum to see what folk made of it.

It is a bird you can see in Europe if that helps.

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Couldn't possibly say where it was taken.

However, I thought this might be a good test to see how difficult birds can be to ID from a single photo - was tempted to put it on the ID forum to see what folk made of it.

It is a bird you can see in Europe if that helps.

Cheers,
Andrew


Ah, it isn't taken in the UK then? I'm starting to change my mind. The wings say black shouldered kite, but the tail doesn't. The tail says lesser kestrel if it weren't so short.

Puzzling.
 
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It does remind me of this pig of a mystery photo I posted a few years ago!
 
I'd say its an Osprey.

Jane - with a tail like that surely your "pig" is a Red Kite? Love to know what it was if it wasn't!
 
I'd say its an Osprey.

Jane - with a tail like that surely your "pig" is a Red Kite? Love to know what it was if it wasn't!

When you lighten the photo it's got yellow feet on my monitor. That would seem to rule out Osprey. It seems to be a medium-sized, mainly dark brown raptor, with a fairly weak looking bill even though it's out of focus (not an Eagle then), some mottling on the underparts, but no dark carpals or light patches on the primaries, so not Common Buzzard, and a straight-sided tail, so in my view, as it has some light feathers in the tail on the outside, is that it is an immature male Marsh Harrier.

Edit: Hmm, should have read more of up thread. Back to drawing board.

Cheers,
 
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The more I look at this - wedge-shaped tail with pale centres, broad looking wings, 1st-yr White-tailed Eagle seems to float around in my brain. It's difficult to judge size without any reference though.

Cheers,
 
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