ID: Katmai NP Alaska (1 Viewer)

Westmidstraveller

Fledgling Birder

• Nov 7, 2009

• #1

Took these two shots in early September last year.

It was hunting in the grasslands around the Brooks Falls area of Katmai National Park.

Thank you for any help you can give.. not good quality shots I'm afraid.

Cheers

Liz

 

Attachments

• 
  ID-Katmai-1.jpg

  234.3 KB · Views: 139
• 
  ID-Katmai-2.jpg

  242.6 KB · Views: 95

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Nov 7, 2009

• #2

Sub-adult female Northern Harrier. First picture is pretty good!
Bob

 

Last edited: Nov 7, 2009

Westmidstraveller

Fledgling Birder

• Nov 7, 2009

• #3

I was too busy taking pictures of bears

Thank you for your help :t:

 

james holdsworth

Consulting Biologist

• Nov 7, 2009

• #4

Looks like a juv. to me.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Nov 8, 2009

• #5

to me as well - juv northern harrier

 

C

ceasar

Well-known member

• Nov 8, 2009

• #6

lou salomon said:

to me as well - juv northern harrier

Click to expand...

Could be. But it also looks like a subadult female (fresh plumage) [Sep.] shown in plate 143, page 157 of Wheeler's RAPTORS of Western North America and that is the photo most similar to pic 1 above.
Bob

 

SteveC_07

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #7

Westmidstraveller said:

I was too busy taking pictures of bears

Thank you for your help :t:

Click to expand...

I've also found that when there are lots of bears around I tend to pay much less attention to the birds.

 

AlexC

Aves en Los Ángeles

Opus Editor

• Nov 9, 2009

• #8

ceasar said:

Could be. But it also looks like a subadult female (fresh plumage) [Sep.] shown in plate 143, page 157 of Wheeler's RAPTORS of Western North America and that is the photo most similar to pic 1 above.
Bob

Click to expand...

Look Wheeler's is a great guide, but when you apply it like this it doesn't serve its purpose. I'll be the first to admit, I'm far from any kind of expert on harrier aging, but from what I've read on BNA Online, I for one can't rule out juv, basic I male, or basic I female (what you're calling sub-adult) based on notable fieldmarks.

Here's female basic I from BNA Online:

Female. Differs from Definitive Basic plumage (see below) in being darker with fewer conspicuous tawny streaks on head, less tawny overall on upperwing-coverts, and less gray on primaries. Secondaries and associated underwing-coverts form an especially dark patch on the underside of each wing.

Click to expand...

Comparing this description with what I see in these photos, I see more tawny upperwing coverts and more gray on primaries. Not saying it's not one, just saying that IMO, trying to narrow down aging based on a guide's one photo of one individual isn't the way to approach raptor ID.

 

lou salomon

the birdonist

• Nov 9, 2009

• #9

upperwing coverts and underparts are clearly rusty toned plus trailing edge to wings has conspicous pale fringes (seen also at the edges of greater coverts), which generally is typical for juvenile plumage in raptors.

 

Mike Shurmer

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #10

Very good pics of a juvenile Northern Harrier

 

B

boddie

Well-known member

• Nov 9, 2009

• #11

"I was too busy taking pictures of bears"

Too busy taking photos of bears to get a good one of a Northern harrier! Life just isn't fair sometimes. Very jealous.

 

Westmidstraveller

Fledgling Birder

• Nov 9, 2009

• #12

boddie said:

"I was too busy taking pictures of bears"

Too busy taking photos of bears to get a good one of a Northern harrier! Life just isn't fair sometimes. Very jealous.

Click to expand...

I have only really got into bird watching, bird photography and putting a 'list' together recently. If I was there now it would have the same priority as a bear! Shame we can't go back in time, I'd have way more birds on my list!