Need to confirm the ID's of these 3 birds (1 Viewer)

[Ains]

Dear Deb,
I'm reposting snaps of the same birds as requested. The first two snaps are the original ones I had posted on the 15 Nov 2020. I've added 2 more snaps of the three birds together and the 5 snap of the bird in the middle. Hopefully, this helps.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

To summarise so far, the general consensus seems to be, based on the very first image in post #1 at the top of the thread is from top to bottom of the image:

1. Steppe Eagle (no one has contested our original ID here)
2. Himalayan or White-rumped (but size perception remains a contention)
3. Long-billed (Indian) (likewise no one has contested our original ID)

EDIT: Ains has forwarded me the additional images which are below - Ains, I cropped one of them and lightened them slightly- I hope that is ok.

 

[KC Foggin]

I've now merged the two threads.

 

[njlarsen]

Please be aware that you can click "Go Advanced" to be able to add photos to a later post. The addition of photos does not have to happen in the first post of a thread

Niels

 

[Deb Burhinus]

More images added above if anyone wants to comment

1. ? imm/juv with Indian below
2. ? imm/juv in middle with Steppe Eagle above, Indian below
3. ? imm/juv

 

[njlarsen]

andyb39 in post 17 mentioned counting primaries as a tool for id. It seems he is right and that Himalayan comes out on top with the few examples I looked at.

Niels

 

[Deb Burhinus]

juvenile White-rumped

http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=872&Bird_Image_ID=130756


juvenile Himalayan
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_ID=865&Bird_Image_ID=86342

I’m pretty sure I know what I think but not qualified to say

 

[Deb Burhinus]

It seems he is right

Niels

which was what I started with in post #1 (and have been arguing for all through the thread btw)


Can anyone with experience with Himalayan confirm this please?

 

[andyb39]

I don't profess to have much experience with these but the lightened, cropped image posted by Deb shows a juvenile Himalayan - the streaking on the underbody is now visible, as are the two white lines on the underwing-coverts (I imagine they mark the length of two bones but I don't know what they would be called). As Deb said, the head is made to look disproportionately small by the huge bulky body and broad wings.

By the way, I can't lay claim to the primary-counting technique - I think this was mentioned by Grahame in a post a couple of years back. Unfortunately the bird in Deb's linked image only seems to show 7, but they often show 8 as far as I can see.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Hi Andy

Many thanks for that - a great team effort

- I agree, the primary counting is an absolute must when identifying raptors but as you say, this only works a/ in the absence of moult gaps and b/ where the primaries (often p10 or the innermost primary of the ‘projection’) are not swept back or out of position and thus ‘invisible’.

FFI - re: underwing. pattern features - I refer back to post #8 when I posted a quote from Forsman’s description of juvenile Himalayan - the short pale flashes are referred to as ‘patagium’ bars (Patagium is the triangular area of skin between the birds shoulder and wrist) - in this case the bars are on the lesser coverts and appear to follow the line of the humerus. The other larger and less distinct bar visible on the underwing is the median bar (pale line of median coverts).

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Ains, I think we can safely conclude as follows

1. Steppe Eagle
2. Himalayan Griffon
3. Indian (Long-billed) Vulture (sadly also critically endangered due to diclofenac poisoning)

 

[Ains]

Thanks, Deb,
Appreciated.

 

[Ains]

Ains, I think we can safely conclude as follows

1. Steppe Eagle
2. Himalayan Griffon
3. Indian (Long-billed) Vulture (sadly also critically endangered due to diclofenac poisoning)

Thanks, Deb and all of you for your wonderful suggestions. I was hoping for a return of the Himalayan Griffon so I could post a clearer picture of it.I appreciate your expert observations.

Please be aware that you can click "Go Advanced" to be able to add photos to a later post. The addition of photos does not have to happen in the first post of a thread

Niels