Sangahyando
Well-known member
Seeing as you're here, what's your opinion on the ID?
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Falco rusticolus? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Birdienamnam
- Start date
Thanks for coming back to ID, it is not a Gyr and Buteo lagopus seems to be the default ID but honnestly I am not even sure about Buteo
Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
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James Lowther
Well-known member
this is the real common sense
as for the ID, seems reasonable and worthwhile to suggest to the OP that this definitely isn't a gyr and is more likely a rough-legged buzzard
James
As much as I agree with Tom's assertion (not a Gyr), I cannot help asking:
If this (IMO not THAT terrible a photo as some would have it) isn't a Buteo, what then is it?
Harrier?
Accipiter?
Vulture?
Eagle? (Aquila/Haliaetus)
Osprey?
Short-toed eagle?
Honey Buzzard?
Milvus?
Another Falcon (than Gyr)?
As others have said:
Please Birdienamnam, tell us if the bird was indeed seen near Kiruna, on what date, and confirm that it was circling over the valley coming from a high mountain area?
And if you managed to see it again (with plumage marks noted) did it resemble any of the raptors depicted in your bird guide (if you have one)?
Peter
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
And you keep adding your own opinion, which is all others have done, are you any better?
Birdienamnam
New member
It was seen the day I asked the question in the Kiruna region. I phoned the guy in charge for the Gyrfalcon project in Sweden and when he heard about them two strings with an endball hanging from its leg he assumed it to be an escapee from a falconer. Birds like that have been seen in Sweden before. They don´t really want it up here because often they are hybrids from mixed breeding. So he was going to take photos of all adult gyrfalcons when they came up for their examination of the nests.
I´m a beginner in birding and became really excited when I saw the bird, forgot to take photos before it was far away. I will go there again and hopefully I´ll see it again and this time get proper photos.
I´m a beginner in birding and became really excited when I saw the bird, forgot to take photos before it was far away. I will go there again and hopefully I´ll see it again and this time get proper photos.
Thanks for your clarification.
The object hanging from the talons, is likely - since the bird definitely isn't a falcon - to have nothing to do with human interference.
Could be a prey being carried to an incubating mate, or - more likely - nest-material to finish or supplement the nest.
Rough-legged Buzzards of course breed later than Common Buzzard, and a rough guide would be: nest building and laying the clutch in May, incubating in June and bringing up the young during July/August.
Perhaps it would be an idea to ask the Gyrfalcon expert his humble opinion of your pictures and report back here.
Peter
The object hanging from the talons, is likely - since the bird definitely isn't a falcon - to have nothing to do with human interference.
Could be a prey being carried to an incubating mate, or - more likely - nest-material to finish or supplement the nest.
Rough-legged Buzzards of course breed later than Common Buzzard, and a rough guide would be: nest building and laying the clutch in May, incubating in June and bringing up the young during July/August.
Perhaps it would be an idea to ask the Gyrfalcon expert his humble opinion of your pictures and report back here.
Peter
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Andy Adcock
Worst person on Birdforum
'Two strings with an end ball'
Hard to know but it doesn't sound like a prey item or nest material?
A
I consider Birdienamnam's guess/interpretation of the "something" in the talons to be influenced by the researcher who's fear it was to see escaped falcons fly thousands of kilometre north, and contaminate the genes of his precious artic predators.
The possibility of a Rough-legged Buzzard (and that is still what I believe it is) being used for falconry is next to nil (I have NEVER heard of this useless - in falconry terms - species being held, used or bred for such a purpose), and why on earth should Birdienamnam be able to describe "something" as "two strings with an end ball" as more than a vague way of expressing what is FAR more likely to have been some twigs and a lump of moss?
Let's first and foremost look at the natural World without installing our - in this case - HIGHLY unlikely concept of human interference.
That's what I intend to do, anyway, not least on account of the fact that Birdienamnam is acutely aware of his/her lack of experience (no offense!)
Peter
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