Birds of Prey - Help needed to Identify (1 Viewer)

[stevethehydra]

Pic 3 in post 12 looks like a crow or raven to me. I could maybe see it as a WTE, but not an Aquila or Buteo with those deep-based wings and head projection.

I agree that the prey is a rabbit rather than a lamb, but if it's an adult rabbit, I think the bird carrying it is too big for a Common Buzzard. Could be a half-grown young one of course though (maybe more likely as less wary/experienced and easier for a predator to catch?)

 

[tconzemi]

Could be a half-grown young one of course though (maybe more likely as less wary/experienced and easier for a predator to catch?)

For Common Buzzard's prey, everything larger than a rat is most probably a road kill

 

[ignicapilla]

After brightening the image it does really look like a buzzard.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

After brightening the image it does really look like a buzzard.
View attachment 1451403

Even without brightening the image it was clearly a buzzard, as stated earlier (no. of primaries).

 

[Sangahyando]

Yup, I missed the fact that the last picture was of a red kite and not the bird(s) in the other photos. That threw me. I'm pretty confident about the rabbit!

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An easy way to distinguish between sitting or perching (Black/Red) kites and harriers is the length of the legs/tarsi. In the Western Palearctic (or at least Europe), kites (as demonstrated by the Red Kite in the picture) have shorter legs than other raptors in the area, while harriers have long legs.

 

[Butty]

But long legs may be partly hidden. So seeing long legs may prove something, but seeing only short legs (as here) doesn't.