Bird of Prey - Middleback Ranges, South Australia (1 Viewer)

[KKDoomed]

Hi all,

I've just joined, looking to get an ID on a bird caught on a pic taken from our drone at work. The boys in the team have said it is a Wedge-tailed Eagle but I'm 99% sure it is not, but can't tell what it is. I think it looks more like a black breasted buzzard.

Thoughts?

 

[Richard Dale]

That's a Little Eagle.

 

[THE_FERN]

I think this is a young whistling kite.

Wedge-tailed eagle head a very clearly diamond-shaped tail

Black-breasted buzzard/kite has white panel near the top of its wings with black primaries

Black kite has a concave tail

Here, we can see some indication of whistling kite's pale inner primary wedges

 

[xuky.summer]

juv little eagle

 

[Richard Dale]

Not a whistling kite - young birds show heavily spotted upperparts and have an unbarred tail, without the subterminal band and pale tip we see here.

 

[THE_FERN]

Not a whistling kite - young birds show heavily spotted upperparts and have an unbarred tail, without the subterminal band and pale tip we see here.

Yes you're correct. I tried to edit my post to reflect but it didn't take. Anyways, not wedge-tailed eagle

 

[KKDoomed]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. Little Eagle it is! Are these common in SA?

 

[THE_FERN]

Thanks everyone for the quick replies. Little Eagle it is! Are these common in SA?

Fairly, I think

 

[Butty]

A small caution... I hope your work isn't anything to do with birds - and I'd ignore all bird IDs coming from the boys in your team: wedge-tailed eagle is one of the most distinctive birds in Australia, with the proportions of a massive raptor (eg a huge deep bill, clearly not present here) and, as Fern says, a big fat graduated/pointed tail - and (from memory) a wing-pattern nothing like this.

 

[delia todd]

Hi KKDoomed and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I think it's pretty widespread throughout mainland Australia, apart from rainforests and rarely along the coast. But I don't think there are a lot of them. My sightings were at Cunnamulla QLD, and in WA at Waychinicup np, and Porongurup national park.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

 

[MJB]

Hi KKDoomed and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators. I think it's pretty widespread throughout mainland Australia, apart from rainforests and rarely along the coast. But I don't think there are a lot of them. My sightings were at Cunnamulla QLD, and in WA at Waychinicup np, and Porongurup national park.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here and I look forward to hearing your news.

Delia, the only part of mainland Oz it is absent from is westernmost SA and southeasternmost WA, according to IUCN map.
MJB