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Tawny eagle ? Ethiopia May 2017 (1 Viewer)

bassel

bassel

Well-known member
Hello to all

I need a confirmation on this eagle . I see a dark tawny in this bird . Confirmation required

Thanks in advance


Bassel
 

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The not well defined dark trailing edge was the very first reliable feature I thought of to exclude a steppe . Also the wing proportions as I believe don't fit a steppe .
 
gape vs eye kinda mid-way between the 2, but slightly closer to tawny..? (Don't know how good a character this is)
 
bassel said:
The not well defined dark trailing edge was the very first reliable feature I thought of to exclude a steppe . Also the wing proportions as I believe don't fit a steppe .
Click to expand...

Flight feathers are very old, worn, so the tip (where is supposed to be the trailing edge) is shorter in most, giving a strange shape (same on tail, looking very short).

Plumage is too dark for belisarius imho, and worn but still broad white band on greater coverts say Steppe to me, so I keep my identification (ready to learn and improve though).

I think the gape is long enough for orientalis.
 
AlinoVegano said:
Flight feathers are very old, worn, so the tip (where is supposed to be the trailing edge) is shorter in most, giving a strange shape (same on tail, looking very short).

Plumage is too dark for belisarius imho, and worn but still broad white band on greater coverts say Steppe to me, so I keep my identification (ready to learn and improve though).

I think the gape is long enough for orientalis.
Click to expand...

Now I have to disagree strongly:
* there are several moult waves in this bird and some feathers are new, no excuse for missing subterminal band and strange shape
* some Tawny are very dark and the darkest are to be found in Ethiopia
* I do not see any broad white band on greater coverts, just a thin whitish lateral edge
* gape is almost impossible to use in such flight pictures but surely looks shortish with no big lips, but nothing sure here
 
tconzemi said:
Now I have to disagree strongly:
* there are several moult waves in this bird and some feathers are new, no excuse for missing subterminal band and strange shape
* some Tawny are very dark and the darkest are to be found in Ethiopia
* I do not see any broad white band on greater coverts, just a thin whitish lateral edge
* gape is almost impossible to use in such flight pictures but surely looks shortish with no big lips, but nothing sure here
Click to expand...

Well, in Russia I guess on this one we agree it is a Steppe Eagle, although paler.

http://www.hbw.com/ibc/photo/steppe-eagle-aquila-nipalensis/bird-flying

I see similar flight feathers pattern in a more-or-less similar worn plumage, and same mixed white/brown greater coverts, typical of a moult immature Steppe Eagle.
 
Last edited:
tconzemi said:
* I do not see any broad white band on greater coverts,
Click to expand...

The tip of new feathers are paler, that is usual in many birds and this is not my point. Now the old immature feathers (they are not many - most greater coverts were replaced- but still several) clearly show the visible part is white. A few month before, all the visible underwing greater coverts were white, typical of Steppe.
 
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