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Lesser Spotted Eagle? (1 Viewer)

Sborg

Well-known member
United States
Would like help ID'ing this bird seen in Zambia on 4 December near the Mutinondo Wilderness Lodge. Please include
what marks you used to ID the bird. Thanks.Eagle.JPG
Eagle_2.JPG
Eagle_3.JPG
 
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The pictures don't show everything but the beak is clearly too big for a Lesser Spotted Eagle.

On the second photo, we can notice a dark body contrasting with pale underwing coverts, a good sign of Steppe Eagle IMO.
 
The bill looks smallish except on first pic (angle and motion blur); the very long feet reaching undertail coverts and beyond are typical of Spotted Eagle. The outer comma on basis of outer primaries is very thin (unlike Wahlberg's) and short (unlike LSE), ther is no obvious inner comma. So on average looks best for Greater Spotted Eagle which is a rarity there. Any other pics?
 
The bill looks smallish except on first pic (angle and motion blur); the very long feet reaching undertail coverts and beyond are typical of Spotted Eagle. The outer comma on basis of outer primaries is very thin (unlike Wahlberg's) and short (unlike LSE), ther is no obvious inner comma. So on average looks best for Greater Spotted Eagle which is a rarity there. Any other pics?

Still a Steppe for me. somewhat similar to this one. The beak looks small on the 2nd photos only, but very big onthe two others. Flight feathers looks plain and very dark, but the quality of the photo is too poor to see the barring I guess.
 
FWIW, Merlin keeps returning LSE or Tawny Eagle. The guide called out a LSE during this outing, but I'm not sure
my pics are of that bird.

Another pic.View attachment 1619774
Picture Bird is more reliable than Merlin in my experience, and it says Lesser Spotted Eagle, with no mention of Steppe or Tawny.

Second guess is Greater Spotted Eagle, but Lesser was the primary guess.
 
Sborg, sometimes people can be totally misled, for some reasons. It is always good to check for yourself the features. Here, you've a comparaison with a LSE on the left and a Steppe on a right. You can easily see that tail length, bill, length of neck, wing shape of you bird a all wrong for Lesser Spotted.

Probably that people saying LSE, as IA does, check the plumage and not the shape while the shape is much more important for ID. Of course, the bird is worn and moulting, which can disturb the shape interpretation but important details such length of neck and bill don't change with moult.
 

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Sborg, sometimes people can be totally misled, for some reasons. It is always good to check for yourself the features. Here, you've a comparaison with a LSE on the left and a Steppe on a right. You can easily see that tail length, bill, length of neck, wing shape of you bird a all wrong for Lesser Spotted.

Probably that people saying LSE, as IA does, check the plumage and not the shape while the shape is much more important for ID. Of course, the bird is worn and moulting, which can disturb the shape interpretation but important details such length of neck and bill don't change with moult.
Interestingly for this particular photo Picture Bird is certain it is a Lesser Spotted Eagle. It didn't even suggest anything else.

I would be surprised if it's got it that wrong, but maybe the app is bad at eagles. (It sucks at gulls as you might imagine!)
It's always so much better to be able to ID yourself to verify / ID in the field when you don't have the chance to get a photo!
 
Sborg, sometimes people can be totally misled, for some reasons. It is always good to check for yourself the features. Here, you've a comparaison with a LSE on the left and a Steppe on a right. You can easily see that tail length, bill, length of neck, wing shape of you bird a all wrong for Lesser Spotted.

Probably that people saying LSE, as IA does, check the plumage and not the shape while the shape is much more important for ID. Of course, the bird is worn and moulting, which can disturb the shape interpretation but important details such length of neck and bill don't change with moult.

Thank you. I take your point about the bill size.
 
Interestingly for this particular photo Picture Bird is certain it is a Lesser Spotted Eagle. It didn't even suggest anything else.

I would be surprised if it's got it that wrong, but maybe the app is bad at eagles. (It sucks at gulls as you might imagine!)
It's always so much better to be able to ID yourself to verify / ID in the field when you don't have the chance to get a photo!
Thank you. This was my first trip to Zambia and being unfamiliar with the birds there, I always checked with the guide to
inform me of the diagnostic field marks. I don't settle on an ID unless I see those marks myself. In the case of this eagle, the guide was
not readily available, so I am relying on the photos and input from those more experienced, such as those on this forum. Thanks again.
 

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