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Bonelli's eagle? El Hondo Nature Reserve, Eastern Spain (1 Viewer)

Dr.Boletus

Well-known member
Spain
Today I saw this raptor at the North Gate and thought it was booted until I caught sight of the brick red chest. It was MASSIVE, and appeared bigger and meaner than any of the 6 booted eagles I had overhead today. Such a bird is known to be present in the area and was observed a lot on November.
IMG_9764.JPG
Additionally, a bit later, I saw this harrier with an orange chest. Any ideas? If that is a marsh harrier I'll honestly be impressed. Possibilities can include hen harrier and pallid harrier, both of which are present in the area
IMG_9822.JPG
 
First looks like a young Bonelli but i'm note expert.
Second reminds me a young Pallid Harrier or Montagu's harrier
I agree with Bonelli's. Standard appearance, and I contacted the reserve today and they said there's 2 of them present.
I agree about pallid harrier. Montagu's would be very strange given this is a summer visitor to the area. Someone I know suggested marsh harrier, but I think the orange chest rules that out. The closest I've seen to this is a confirmed pallid harrier in Jan 2024 in Norfolk, UK. Almost identical.
@tconzemi @lou salomon
 
I have no more photos of the pallid harrier, unfortunately, as I wasn't really paying attention when I took it and didn't see the orange chest until later. I've also never seen a booted eagle like that, looked very weird for one.
I also had two more photos. One is a very bad photo of a huge raptor with a very short tail:
IMG_9579.JPG
And the other stirred up a whole crowd of people who assumed it was a spotted eagle although I thought it was a marsh harrier:
IMG_9724.JPG
 
Only educated guesses: Eagle Owl for first one, Marsh Harrier or Black Kite for second one, surely not a Lesser Spotted
I agree, the first one does have something owl-like about its appearance.
As for the second one, there are greater spotted eagles about, but this is definitely not it, thank you for clarifying
 
Final question. The very distant bird on my photos- any ideas? I've seen greater spotted eagles, booted eagles in the area recently but have no idea what this is.
IMG_9872.JPG
IMG_9881.JPG
 
Picture 2 on post 1 surely shows Marsh Harrier? Please note dark-brown chest ( I don't see an orange chest at all), with slightly more rufous trousers (possibly extending to rump area), uniformly dark-brown unbarred tail (as far as I can see) and no white rump (despite being paler than tail); the pale creamy patches on head and sides of chest are also not really consistent with other species.
 
Picture 2 on post 1 surely shows Marsh Harrier? Please note dark-brown chest ( I don't see an orange chest at all), with slightly more rufous trousers (possibly extending to rump area), uniformly dark-brown unbarred tail (as far as I can see) and no white rump (despite being paler than tail); the pale creamy patches on head and sides of chest are also not really consistent with other species.

Well done, I was hesistant to give a reaction, you did it!

Kept coming back here because I saw a heavy harrier with a broad arm and the atypical colors you describe (for the other harriers).
 
I have no more photos of the pallid harrier, unfortunately, as I wasn't really paying attention when I took it and didn't see the orange chest until later. I've also never seen a booted eagle like that, looked very weird for one.
I also had two more photos. One is a very bad photo of a huge raptor with a very short tail:
View attachment 1619098
And the other stirred up a whole crowd of people who assumed it was a spotted eagle although I thought it was a marsh harrier:
View attachment 1619099
Hello, I m quite sure the one in last in photo visibly taken at dusk is a black-wing kite, with this classic short-tailed and gull-like appearence ; but not a huge raptor in this case!

Regards
 
Yes exactly this bird, and still think it was a BwK with this jizz
Not a black-winged kite based on sheer size alone. There were marsh harriers up as well and this monster was vastly larger than any of them. Based on size alone I first thought greater spotted eagle, but even they don't have such a massive head
 
Not a black-winged kite based on sheer size alone. There were marsh harriers up as well and this monster was vastly larger than any of them. Based on size alone I first thought greater spotted eagle, but even they don't have such a massive head
Assessing size on bird of prey - and, more generally, on flying birds - are not an easy task to my eyes... For instance: you've said that the eagle on the first photo was "MASSIVE" in comparaison with the booted Eagles ; although it's finally also a booted. No bad spirit on my part, just to balance things out, and as a BW Kite is indeed a little one so I suppose you are right to exclude it from the list of possibilities... But structure/jizz of this bird are still annoying and reminding me BBK, at least clearly not an Aquila.

Regards
 

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