Raptor ID Mitu Colombia (1 Viewer)

[megan perkins]

This pair of raptors was sighted in Mitu, Vaupes dept, Colombia.
They were perched high in a tree early morning, drying out after a wet night. Initial Id by our guide was Slaty-backed Forest-falcon (which I am sure they are not). Most likely seems Bicolored Hawk, but I cannot see any rufous thighs visible in any of my pic's. Also considered Grey-bellied Goshawk (Accipiter poliogaster), but shape and appearance seem wrong?
I would appreciate any thoughts on this
Many thanks

 

[Andy Hurley]

Grey bellied Goshawk? Even before I read you thread.
Just a guess really, I never been to South Amrerica

 

[njlarsen]

I think the thighs are hidden behind belly feathers on this bird. If you zoom in a lot, it seems to me that there is a hint of something rufous where the legs disappear behind the belly feathers.

That means that Bicolored and Rufous-thighed/Plain-breasted/Sharp-shinned are in play. One of them might be possible to exclude based on range?

Niels

 

[Jim M.]

That means that Bicolored and Rufous-thighed/Plain-breasted/Sharp-shinned are in play. One of them might be possible to exclude based on range?

Sharp-shinned Hawk (incl PB and RTh) would be out of range according to Birds of Northern South America; also no eBird reports of SSHA in Colombian lowlands.

 

[megan perkins]

Many thanks for this, I think I will go with Bicolored Hawk on these, unless someone comes up with something compelling!

 

[lewis20126]

I think these may be Double-toothed Kites. I've been thrown by this age / morph before...

cheers, alan

 

[njlarsen]

I think these may be Double-toothed Kites. I've been thrown by this age / morph before...

cheers, alan

I don't know but will ask to compare with the info given in Restall Birds of N SA:
The morph with pale underside is an immature morph in which the tail is described as having 4-5 faint bands on tail. In drawing of immature shown as medium grey with narrower, paler bands.

Niels

Edit: the tail of this one does not look to have that many pale bands

 

[dominic.patagonia]

Looks good for bicolored to me, but my own experierence of these are all from Chile, where they may be a different subspp.

 

[Peter C.]

I looked at (what I believe are) all the possibilities for the Colombian lowlands in Hilty and Brown, and none of them quite fit. I think the tail is not long enough a Bicolored Hawk, and I think that species would show more than one light band in the given views. I am very much not familiar with Double-toothed Kite, but do they ever have such a completely unmarked breast as this? Not in my guides, anyway.

Then I looked in my "Birds of Ecuador" - in there, I find Semiplumbeous Hawk fits best. The subject is not as deep orange on the cere as in the plate, but this diagnosis fits the nice clean underparts and the single band in the tail. I also notice that the range (for Ecuador, of course) is given as "humid lowlands of the northwest" which would, I believe, be similar habitat to what is around Mitu.


Peter.

 

[njlarsen]

Restall states that Double-toothed Kite has two immature morphs, one with a clean white underside like this, the other with some thin black markings on the underside. Both morphs are shown in the plates.

Compare: http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bicolored_Hawk pro this one is the number of bands on the tail (I can see two on one of the photos)
Compare: http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Double-toothed_Kite pro this one is the seeming length of wings going half way down the tail

I am not ready to call this one, I have limited experience with both species, and none from Colombia

Niels

 

[lewis20126]

I looked at (what I believe are) all the possibilities for the Colombian lowlands in Hilty and Brown, and none of them quite fit. I think the tail is not long enough a Bicolored Hawk, and I think that species would show more than one light band in the given views. I am very much not familiar with Double-toothed Kite, but do they ever have such a completely unmarked breast as this? Not in my guides, anyway.

Then I looked in my "Birds of Ecuador" - in there, I find Semiplumbeous Hawk fits best. The subject is not as deep orange on the cere as in the plate, but this diagnosis fits the nice clean underparts and the single band in the tail. I also notice that the range (for Ecuador, of course) is given as "humid lowlands of the northwest" which would, I believe, be similar habitat to what is around Mitu.


Peter.

Peter

Semiplumbeous Hawk is more or less a Choco endemic, not occuring east of the Andes. It cannot be that species.

I'll try and find some Double-toothed Kite links later

cheers, alan

 

[Peter C.]

Peter

Semiplumbeous Hawk is more or less a Choco endemic, not occuring east of the Andes. It cannot be that species.

I'll try and find some Double-toothed Kite links later

cheers, alan

Ah! I am red-faced! I read north-west, but interpreted it as north-east, i.e. upper Amazon drainage. Thanks for pointing that out

 

[megan perkins]

Firstly many thanks to all who have trawled through this for me!
I can safely eliminate Double-toothed Kite on size alone, as it is a species with which I am familiar. In addition the tail bands are too broad for this species.
Bicolored Hawk, on the other hand is unfamiliar and is the only thing that seems to fit most illustrated characteristics. I can confirm 2 fairly broad tail bands and a dark cap observed on these birds. Just wish the red thighs showed to clinch it!

 

[lewis20126]

Just for comparion, here is a picture I took at Gareno Lodge of a Double-toothed Kite in early 2013.

The tail bands do seem narrower on the Ecuador bird and it does has a short mesial stripe, lacking on the Mitu birds..

cheers, alan

 

[njlarsen]

Firstly many thanks to all who have trawled through this for me!
I can safely eliminate Double-toothed Kite on size alone, as it is a species with which I am familiar. In addition the tail bands are too broad for this species.
Bicolored Hawk, on the other hand is unfamiliar and is the only thing that seems to fit most illustrated characteristics. I can confirm 2 fairly broad tail bands and a dark cap observed on these birds. Just wish the red thighs showed to clinch it!

As far as my books tell me, there is overlap on size of these two?

Niels