Large Raptor - Si Phang Nga, Thailand April (1 Viewer)

[400mark]

I saw this raptor on 16/4/19 at Si Phang Nga, Thailand.

In the field it was silhouetted & looked all dark, I got a couple of quick pics but my camera settings were all wrong so couldn't review any detail at the time. After a look in the field guides it was assumed to be a dark morph Changeable Hawk Eagle as that was the nearest all dark eagle.

Back home & reviewing my pics, I am no longer sure about the ID. I have attached a couple of these. Hopefully you can see that it is a large raptor & appears to have a pale throat/breast & a dark hooded appearance, dark wing coverts, lightly barred flight feathers & tail with a dark band at the end of the tail. Some features similar to a Rufous-bellied Eagle? But I didn't see any rufous in the field or in the pics, possibly due to the harsh light?

Looking on-line, the Raptors recorded for this site are listed below:

Oriental Honey-buzzard
Black Baza
Crested Serpent Eagle
Wallace's Hawk Eagle
Chinese Sparrowhawk
Japanese Sparrowhawk
White-bellied Sea Eagle
Lesser Fish Eagle
Grey-faced Buzzard

So either species may be new for the site, any thoughts on possible ID are welcomed.

Many thanks in advance.

 

[Andy Adcock]

I think it's what you thought it was , CHE.

 

[Grahame Walbridge]

It's an adult Rufous-bellied Eagle.

Grahame

 

[Andy Adcock]

It's an adult Rufous-bellied Eagle.

Grahame

So it is, can the mods come up with an emoji for embarassment?

 

[viator]

It's an adult Rufous-bellied Eagle.

Grahame

Definitely!

 

[400mark]

Definitely!

Thanks Andy & Grahame for your comments. :t:

The photo's aren't the best but I suspected it was a R-b Eagle, good to get other opinions & confirmation.

Cheers B