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BoP for ID - Hungary (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Cristian Mihai
- Start date
Helsinki Birder
Stealth Birder
Any other pics?
To me the tail looks short and broad. And what I can see from the under parts looks solidly marked.
Feels like a buzzard to me.
Owen
To me the tail looks short and broad. And what I can see from the under parts looks solidly marked.
Feels like a buzzard to me.
Owen
Cristian Mihai
Cristian Mihai
Unfortunately, I think there are no more pics...
Agree with that the tail-shape suggests Buzzard and Owen may be right. Head pattern has a Merlin feel to it though. Difficult to know how big the bird is.
Welsh Peregrine
Well-known member
Another one for Merlin - can't ever recall a Buzzard this colour.
Cristian Mihai
Cristian Mihai
Thank you for replies. My first idea was Merlin too, but IMHO the pattern of the head looks a little bit odd (I have a slightly Rough-legged Buzzard feeling concerning the head...).
Strandman
Well-known member
I had been keeping out of this one, but first thought was juv Roughleg on a thin branch, as they like to be.
There's not many pixels to play with, but enough of hint of the tail pattern to make we wonder if it's there, but in some way shaded perhaps by L wing.
Attached is the image pic 1 and pic 2 with the mid tones lightened in the tail- not scientific or reliable, but just to illustrate the point (and the original brightened up generally in pic 3).
Attachments
Last edited:
Tib78
Well-known member
Photo ID, don't you like it?
When I first saw this photo (even before KGS's comment) I thought: merlin! Second look: wait...is it a buzzard? Third look: no it's a merlin!
For the moment, I'll stick with Merlin. So far nobody commented on the proportions of the bird, IMO, they fit Merlin better: compared to the body, the head looks too big for a buzzard and is better for a falcon (especially a smaller one).
The head pattern with distinct rear supercilium, rather well-defined ear coverts with somewhat 'hollow center', and white neck side seems pretty distinctive too.
The tail is the long side for a buzzard IMO. It sems to darkens towards the tip which is good for Merlin. Unfortunately I don't know why there is no bar visible on the rest of the tail (it doesn't look like a male Merlin, does it? Hence no bars further up the tail is a problem).
I'd expect a juv RLB to have a more uniform head pattern, less obvious white throat, less obvious white neck side...
I guess it will be hard to reach a consensus with this single image and some people will probably remain convinced it's a buzzard (I certainly don't blame them as I am not in the least certain my ID is correct!!)
When I first saw this photo (even before KGS's comment) I thought: merlin! Second look: wait...is it a buzzard? Third look: no it's a merlin!
For the moment, I'll stick with Merlin. So far nobody commented on the proportions of the bird, IMO, they fit Merlin better: compared to the body, the head looks too big for a buzzard and is better for a falcon (especially a smaller one).
The head pattern with distinct rear supercilium, rather well-defined ear coverts with somewhat 'hollow center', and white neck side seems pretty distinctive too.
The tail is the long side for a buzzard IMO. It sems to darkens towards the tip which is good for Merlin. Unfortunately I don't know why there is no bar visible on the rest of the tail (it doesn't look like a male Merlin, does it? Hence no bars further up the tail is a problem).
I'd expect a juv RLB to have a more uniform head pattern, less obvious white throat, less obvious white neck side...
I guess it will be hard to reach a consensus with this single image and some people will probably remain convinced it's a buzzard (I certainly don't blame them as I am not in the least certain my ID is correct!!)
Hungarian birder
Well-known member
This is a Merlin for me too!
Cheers
Cheers
Cristian Mihai
Cristian Mihai
Thank you everybody for replies and comments.
Valéry Schollaert
Respect animals, don't eat or wear their body or s
I had same kind of problem, I even commented then deleted my comment. If there is no photo effect and the wings are as we see, it cannot be a buzzard, then Merlin sounds the right choice. Very surprising photo.
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