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Raptor ID, Costa Rica (1 Viewer)

Ferdy Timmerman

New member
Hi everyone, the photographs were taken around August 15th, this year, in the vicinity of Lake Arenal, northwest Costa Rica. I determined every bird I saw / photographed, using 'Birds of Mexico and Central America', by Ber van Perlo, but this one's got me puzzling. The only bird in the book that looks similar to my bird is an immature peregrine falcon ('tundrius-race'), but that one has a grey beak, while my bird has a yellow one. I can't find more picture's of the mentioned species, so I'm a bit stuck... Can anyone help me?
Thanks!
 

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Hi again Ferdy. I hope you don't mind but I lightened them up a bit so hopefully, it will make identification a bit easier.
 

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Still kinda looks like a Swainsons, the heavy brow with a dark eye, face streaking. The beak looks a little large for a Swainsons at least as compared to my books. I hope someone else comes along who might know for sure.
 
This bird really goes through some plumage changes as he matures. Below are some recent photos I took of immature Gray (-lined) Hawk and then a photo of an adult.
 

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This bird really goes through some plumage changes as he matures. Below are some recent photos I took of immature Gray (-lined) Hawk and then a photo of an adult.

Careful; juv's of the nominate (as on your nice photos) look rather different than juv's from ssp. plagiatus (as on the other photos in this thread). Many are not aware of this difference, and it commonly leads to confusion. For example, the juvenile illustrated in "Birds of South America - Non-Passerines" most resemble plagiatus despite the fact that the nominate group is the only one that conclusively has been recorded in South America (yes, I know that Hellmayr & Conover, 1949, indicated that plagiatus might reach NW South America, but that is, at best, highly questionable).
 
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