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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Raptor for ID - Trinidad - Mangrove Swamp (1 Viewer)

rka

ttbirds
Checked the guides and couldn’t find an easy match. Bill is interesting - very hooked. The bird seemed smaller that a Common Black Hawk and was gliding from branch to branch under the mangrove canopy.

I heard single loudish chirps between two birds that could have been two of these hawks (but not certain) as there was nothing much else seen in the area.

Any help appreciated.
 

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Looks like Hook-billed Kite, probably a good bird in Trinidad?

Edit: A lazy, quick check of the Wikipedia list for birds of Trinidad has it as 'Rare / accidental'
 
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Thanks, I suspected it was hook-billed but couldn’t find a picture for comparison with similar colouration. Here is another pic showing a bit of the tail.

Looks like Hook-billed Kite, probably a good bird in Trinidad?

Edit: A lazy, quick check of the Wikipedia list for birds of Trinidad has it as 'Rare / accidental'
 

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Thanks. A local birder has suggested it could be a Juvenile Grey-headed kite. Took a look at a few pics and that’s a pretty close match.


I could of course be way off having never seen HbK myself and I suppose GhK is more likely, that's a big bill though.
 
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So it's Hook-billed after all, great find.

Had a message from Martin, I guess you did too?

Hi

Curious as to how you decided this. Looks like a (slightly odd) grey-headed kite to me. I found some pics of immature hook-billed which have similar plumage but the facial pattern is different. When I first saw this pic, I had the feeling it was distinctly different to the (many) hook-bills I've seen.
 
Hi

Curious as to how you decided this. Looks like a (slightly odd) grey-headed kite to me. I found some pics of immature hook-billed which have similar plumage but the facial pattern is different. When I first saw this pic, I had the feeling it was distinctly different to the (many) hook-bills I've seen.

The chairman of the Trinidad, rarities committee pers com, I quote....

'dark morph imm Hook-billed to my eyes.

They are still very localised and uncommon but we see several every year now'
 
From what I have seen in the local guide and a few pics, the tail feather banding pattern better matched HbK but as you mentioned the facial pattern much closer to GhK.

At this point I’m not sure what are the conclusive identifiers.




Hi

Curious as to how you decided this. Looks like a (slightly odd) grey-headed kite to me. I found some pics of immature hook-billed which have similar plumage but the facial pattern is different. When I first saw this pic, I had the feeling it was distinctly different to the (many) hook-bills I've seen.
 
From what I have seen in the local guide and a few pics, the tail feather banding pattern better matched HbK but as you mentioned the facial pattern much closer to GhK.

At this point I’m not sure what are the conclusive identifiers.

GhK is a dainty headed bird IMO by comparison, HbK has a bigger looking head and distinctive bill shape.
 
GhK is a dainty headed bird IMO by comparison, HbK has a bigger looking head and distinctive bill shape.

Get the point (!) about the bill, but I don't see a a difference in head shape from grey-headed here, and in also don't see the facial pattern I'd expect on hook-billed. cf this (if the pinterest link works...)

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/290411875964173829/

(="pale immature hook-billed kite")

I note the dark area separating the yellow in front of the eye from that of the cere. This seems to be constant in hook-billed and I don't see it in any of the photos. But maybe I'm missing something...
 
Get the point (!) about the bill, but I don't see a a difference in head shape from grey-headed here, and in also don't see the facial pattern I'd expect on hook-billed. cf this (if the pinterest link works...)

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/290411875964173829/

(="pale immature hook-billed kite")

I note the dark area separating the yellow in front of the eye from that of the cere. This seems to be constant in hook-billed and I don't see it in any of the photos. But maybe I'm missing something...

I don't subscribe to Pinterest so cannot view without an annoying window popping up all the time.

The structure of the head and neck of GhK, is reminiscent to me of Honey Buzzard, this birds isn't.

It's not me you need to convince but the chairman of the rarities committee who's happy with it?

Edit: Missed a very obvious feature, GhK has a dark eye in all the images I've seen.
 
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