Malawi: Hawk-Eagle, Hyliota, Flycatcher, Buzzard ID (1 Viewer)

[Semiramis]

Hi,

The attached photos were made in November 2013 in Malawi.

Hawk-eagle
I think it is a juvenile African Hawk-Eagle, but just realized that juvenile Ayres Hawk-Eagle is another option, but still convinced that it is African. Can anyone confirm? Hawk-eagle photo taken in Mount Mulanje Massif.

Hyliota
Photo from Dzalanyama Forest in dull afternoon light (about 1 hour before dusk). Could not see whether the plumage was glossy or not. I think both hyliotas occur in Dzalanyama. First thought it was Yellow-bellied because the belly colour appears quite intense but the white wing patch seems to fit better with Southern/Mashona Hyliota

Flycatcher
Photo from Dzalanyama. I am pretty sure the flycatcher is Boehm's flycatcher.

Mystery Bird
Photo taken in Nkhoktakota Reserve (miombo and gallery forest)

Buzzard
On site I thought that this was a mountain buzzard but but it shouldn't occur in Dzalanyama where the photo was taken. So steppe buzzard after all??

Thanks for any help!

Cheers,

Sjef

 

[Tib78]

Let's start with the easy ones: you are correct with African hawk-eagle, Southern hyliota and Boehm's flycatcher.

I am not so sure the buzzard is a Steppe. Juv Moutain should seriuosly be considered I'd say.

The mistery bird is really...mysterious! A flycatcher perhaps? Any other pic?

 

[Semiramis]

Thanks very much for the feedback!

Very interesting about the buzzard, don't really see why mountain buzzard shouldn't be in Dzalanyama. I will check the trip reports again and see if I can find any reports on mountain buzzard in Dzalanyama.

Mystery Bird
I only have three pictures of the mystery bird (other two attached to this mail), these two photos have only been cropped but are otherwise unchanged. The first I sent was sharpened a little in Photoshop and I overexposed it 1.3 stops with the camera, because the first two (the ones attached now) seemed too dark.

I first thought it was a (smaller) woodland-dwelling pipit, but after checking the photos I also thought it was a juv flycatcher, but the photos are just too poor for me to make sense out of it. The large eyes and rather narrow bill make me lean towards a flycatcher, but really hard to say.

Sjef

PS will post a full trip report on Cloudbirds and mammalwatching.com in a couple of days.