Buzzard? thetford (1 Viewer)

[dud1z]

Easy to see that this bird is a Common buzzard now.

 

[Shadow-watcher]

Lot clearer in the new pics. I was torn between HH and Buzz, but figured it would be weird for a HH to be in Thetford, so it had to be a Buzzard. would that be fair to say? or do HH turn up in taht area more regularly?

 

[MJB]

Lot clearer in the new pics. I was torn between HH and Buzz, but figured it would be weird for a HH to be in Thetford, so it had to be a Buzzard. would that be fair to say? or do HH turn up in taht area more regularly?

Thetford Forest has lots of clear-felled sections, often with long rows of roots and unwanted branches lines across them, offering ample cover for small mammals and of course making former rabbit burrow areas suitable for recolonisation, and so Hen Harrier ought to be expected, especially during migration. These areas are replanted successionally, and so are replaced by others. Woodlark and Nightjar have adapted well to shifting breeding areas, but the size of any clear-felled area is normally kept between suitable maximum and minimum sizes to benefit wildlife but not hinder commercial operations, a neat balance unlikely to continue if the forest is sold off in job lots.
MJB

 

[chris butterworth]

Well battered Common Buzzard. New pics much better

Chris

 

[cates]

Saw this bird in thetford and thought it was a buzzard?I have more pics if needed

it's a small and dark image. honey or roughleg should not be ruled out; the only way to tell is with under markings that you can't see.

 

[jforgham]

Amazing how one photo (the 1st) can be so misleading whereas the 3rd gives the species straight away. In the first, although buzzard was the straight forward option, the wings do indeed look harrier like.
3rd leaves no doubt.
Jono

 

[Hotspur]

it's a small and dark image. honey or roughleg should not be ruled out; the only way to tell is with under markings that you can't see.

It can - no white tail band so not rough-leg. No Honeys north of the sahara so not HB.

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Although your latter criterion is one of probability rather than ID.

 

[Biancone]

it's a small and dark image. honey or roughleg should not be ruled out; the only way to tell is with under markings that you can't see.

The third image (1st of the later 2!) shows pale breast band and pale stripe along mid coverts on underwing, so definitely Common Buzz (and no need to think about Roughleg or Honey). Hard to understand how it can keep aloft with so much wing missing.

 

[birdermoose]

Sorry I didn't put the third image on first, I didn't know I had the image until I looked for a better image. I know that this wasn't honey or rough legged or I would have been a lot more excited at the time!

 

[Tideliner]

There is no way that is a honey buzzard. No tail barrs and much too short in the tail.

 

[colindouglas]

defo not a buzzard m8 i work in the galloway forest and its rife with buzzards and you can tell straight away its not one. i am not sure but would say a harrier

 

[birdboybowley]

Still a Buzzard - as has already been mentioned many times!!

 

[Jan-Paul Charteris]

There seem to be two generations of retrices and remiges, the pic from below shows the difference in translucency. Probably just moulting therefore, but that is a hell of a chunk out of one of its wings especially.

Regarding the ID, lack of tail barring immediately discounts Honey Buzzard and Hen Harrier, along with the fact the bird looks nothing like either in most other ways. Dark lesser coverts with pale median covert bar, pale U on breast, and completely wrong tail pattern (ie lack of pattern) rule out Rough-legged Buzzard and indicate Common Buzzard which this very clearly is. Adult male Rough-legged could come closest to this plumage-wise but is still wrong in several of those respects, most noticeably tail pattern

Jan