Brazil, Goias, Chapada dos Veadeiros NP (1 Viewer)

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #1

Hello all,

In september I visited the Chapada dos Veadeiros NP near Brasilia, Brazil. It is a great place, though most of the birds in the area are seen outside the park. In the park we spotted a bird of prey sitting on its nest on the other side of the gorge we were walking along. I have the impression that it's a juvenile, which is why I cannot find which species it could be from my guide book (Birds of Southern South America and Antarctica (Collins Illustrated Checklist) by Martin De La Pena).

Any idea? Sorry about the mediocre quality of the picture.

tx! Wim

 

Attachments

• 
  Chapada-220.jpg

  240.4 KB · Views: 91

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 23, 2010

• #2

It could be a White Hawk.

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Mar 23, 2010

• #3

I am not sure about range, but what about an adult Mantled Hawk? (follow the link to an id paper at the bottom of the page)

Edit: Wim, any field notes?

Niels

 

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #4

Andrew Whitehouse said:

It could be a White Hawk.

Click to expand...

Indeed, I just looked it up some more and it seems immature white hawks do have a much darker back. Apart from that it certainly looks like a match.

tx! Wim

 

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #5

njlarsen said:

I am not sure about range, but what about an adult Mantled Hawk? (follow the link to an id paper at the bottom of the page)

Edit: Wim, any field notes?

Niels

Click to expand...

Avibase doesn't list the Mantled Hawk in its Goias checklist, so I didn't consider it. I looked at the reference you provided and it looks close. I could accept it as a match looking at the imagery however there are some doubts.

First the typical habitat doesn't quite match to conditions in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, which has a typical Cerrado landscape with some dense woodland near the Rio Preto river. We witnessed the bird in a tree close to the river. Though this narrow stretch is rather humid, it is nowhere near the humidity of the Atlantic rain forest which is listed among the humid forest areas the Mantled Hawk is said to occur in... I include a link to an overview of the valley where we say the bird. The tree with the hawk is situated in the extreme lower left corner of the image (or a little outside the image on that side): http://gallery.ishpuini.be/albums/Braz2009/Chapada-072.jpg

Also, the tail doesn't match exactly. Forgive my lack of knowledge of terminology, but the white part of the tail is visible entirely in the bird in my shot, whereas part of it is hidden in the reference images. Of course this may not mean anything.

For now the white hawk seems a safer guess. I'll try to get a better crop of the image this evening (this one is just one I have in my image gallery of the trip), perhaps that may reveal more useful detail.

Tx!! Wim

 

Last edited: Mar 23, 2010

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 23, 2010

• #6

ishpuini said:

Indeed, I just looked it up some more and it seems immature white hawks do have a much darker back. Apart from that it certainly looks like a match.

tx! Wim

Click to expand...

I think some Brazilian forms tend to be darker backed too, even as adults. Mantled Hawk (which I think would be out of range) would have an all white tail, and this bird seems to have a dark subterminal band. White-necked Hawk might be a possibility, though I'm not sure that's found in this area either.

 

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #7

Andrew Whitehouse said:

I think some Brazilian forms tend to be darker backed too, even as adults. Mantled Hawk (which I think would be out of range) would have an all white tail, and this bird seems to have a dark subterminal band. White-necked Hawk might be a possibility, though I'm not sure that's found in this area either.

Click to expand...

Doesn't seem to be listed on the state checklist, and the distribution map I found (http://www.birdlife.info/wbdbweb/images/speciesmap/2000-3482.gif) doesn't include the Chapada either.

Wim

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Mar 23, 2010

• #8

Sounds like you are getting closer to an id :t:

Niels

 

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #9

I managed to crop the image somewhat closer and enhance the detail in the white parts. It should be easier to recognise now.

Wim

 

Attachments

• 
  hawk-1.jpg

  167.1 KB · Views: 64

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 23, 2010

• #10

I found this image: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_e__4sp8ivOw/SXCjlVkENtI/AAAAAAAABiE/Y-w7xD6K8MA/s1600/White%2BHawk.jpg
on a site that claims this is an image of a White Hawk. Of course, I don't want to trust just any website...

Looked into the De La Pena once more, and the White Hawk or White-necked Hawk aren't even in there. The Mantled Hawk is, but I wasn't sure about it since the habitat doesn't match.

I'll stick with the White Hawk as an ID I think. Unless someone pops in with a 100% sure ID...

Tx!!

Wim

 

Andrew Whitehouse

Professor of Listening

Supporter

• Mar 23, 2010

• #11

The tail pattern is easier to see on the crop and this seems to be consistent with White Hawk. I'm a bit worried that it seems to be somewhat out of range for this species (or for any similar ones come to that).

 

njlarsen

Gallery Moderator

Opus Editor

Supporter

• Mar 24, 2010

• #12

I looked in two other books, van Perlo and Eriza/Maza. The second one did not look like anything could be close, but the first one shows an isolated population of White-necked Hawk not too far from where you were if I interpret Google maps correctly. Black-and-White Hawk Eagle is shown as another bird to exclude (I think the tail is wrong for this one, though).

Ebird does not have enough observations to be helpful.

Niels

 

I

ishpuini

Member

• Mar 25, 2010

• #13

Thank you all for your help. I finally heard from the guide that took us around the park. I contacted him some months ago, but he didn't get back to me. Turns out he was very busy (a little daughter being added to his family and all). Anyway, he was a great guide.

Obviously he saw the bird on many occasions walking into the park several times every week. He's 100% sure it's a White Hawk, and since that seems to be the most likely determination here as well, I think the matter is concluded.

Thanks again!!!

Wim