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Raptor - NSW, Australia (1 Viewer)

Loutsy

Loutsy

Well-known member
Hi - Attached is pic of raptor spotted January 8 in Port Macquarie, NSW, Australia flying over Hastings River. It was a fair bit away so only got one pic and was not enough for me to identify. My guess is Black Kite. Thanks in advance for your help!

Kris from Canada
 

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  • unknown possible Black Kite Jan 7 17 IMGP0225.jpg
    unknown possible Black Kite Jan 7 17 IMGP0225.jpg
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Black kite for me seems most likely.

It's not saying for me any of the things you'd associate with other possibilities. Flight doesn't say Harrier like to me, though could be Swampy - they always look strange in the sky - definitely not a Spotted Harrier though, and colouration would likely rule out Whistling, and Square-tailed Kite, or immature Sea Eagle.

Nice shot of the primaries - that thing is in maximum lift cruise mode! :)


Chosun :gh:
 
Last edited:
podargus said:
To me the upperwing markings look pretty spot on for Square-tailed Kite e.g. barred secondaries, paler barred primaries, seemingly pale feather shafts on primaries, and contrasting pale coverts as in this photo http://redlands2030.net/wp-content/...ters-Thornlands-6-June-2015-colour-signed.jpg
Click to expand...

I do not know anything about Australian raptors, what took my attention on the OP bird were the extremely long fingers, unlike our Black Kites, but a very good match to the above Square-tailed Kite
 
Podargus and Tom, I think these are both fair and observant comments. Initially I went with BK based on the dark not lighter reddish colouring, 'jink' in the tail, and generally 'floaty' (though seemingly not STK-like-gravity defying) jizz. The long primary fingers did trigger questions though....

After your comments, I lightened the photo and saturated the photo, twice on my phone, since the apparent barred primaries also raise questions.

There is more reddish apparent, though perhaps not as much as I'd expect for STK, and I can see that the feet are shorter than I first thought. I still can't clearly make out colours of cere or feet. I am also not completely convinced there is enough of a lighter window apparent at the end of the wing secondaries, or that the wings are long enough for STK.

I don't have access to my Debus BOP Field Guide which would help enormously (especially 2nd ed).

So I am left with a BK with long primaries more barred than I would expect.

Or an STK that is more uniformly dark than I would expect, and without the greater wing length and more floaty jizz that I would expect.

Difficult to tell from the one photo in that position, but I'm still leaning more towards BK over STK. Interested to hear other thoughts.


Chosun :gh:
 
I'll come into the Square-tailed Kite camp now- the well-fingered primaries and upswept wings fit, the pale at the base of the primaries looks good and the reddish tint is dead right, also the range is OK.
 
Well, I had hoped to hear more opinions on this. No fault, but it's not the best photo in the world for making a judgement. Those long primaries bug me, so I went back and lightened the photo several more times, and also saturated it a couple more times. Apart from the resulting fluorescent blue wing tips (due to CA /Sharpening) there is definite barring apparent, and the body colour is now within the expected reddish range.

So yep, it's STK for me also.

Interesting that lately I've been seeing stacks and stacks (well actually the same bird many times over! :) STK flying by me as I've been working out at a location on the edge of the suburban /NP interface. I've been able to observe a myriad of atypical and differing wing positions and flight styles under different conditions. o:)


Chosun :gh:
 
Thanks for all the postings! I had guessed at the Black Kite because of a field guide (phone app Morcombe / Stewart) comment "Tail often twisted". Was interesting reading all the postings!
 
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