Buteo for ID. Darjeeling Outskirts, West Bengal, India. Dec 2021 (1 Viewer)

[sbiswas.geo]

Need an ID on this juvenile buteo. Flying over firmlands at the Himalayan foothills. Made a few circles and came rather close, then gained height and eventually disappeared.

 

[sbiswas.geo]

@jalid , another Himlayan/Eastern candidate maybe?

 

[ratt]

I always find them difficult, but to me it looks like what I always thought was the Himalaya version of the common.

 

[sbiswas.geo]

I always find them difficult, but to me it looks like what I always thought was the Himalaya version of the common.

Buteo refectus?

 

[ratt]

I had to search around for my India book, but yes refectus is the one I always think when I see this bird. But I'm nowhere near as good as Heinz Lainer was, or Gordon Frost. They both corrected me on many occasions with raptors.