Raptor in Thailand - West of Bangkok earlier this morning (1 Viewer)

[Aladdin]

Dear Members and bird watchers!

Just back from a birding tour west of Bangkok. I spotted a bird of Prey and I cannot ID the bird. The only bird I can find to fit the tail is the Steppe or Imperial Eagle. But in my book their wings have 7 fingers and my bird only have 6.

And my bird have what looks like a black head and there is no bird like that in my book.

Tawny Eagle have 6 fingers but the colour is not correct.

Anyone that can see what bird it is from the poor pictures?

Kind regards and happy birding
Aladdin

 

[Butty]

Black kite

 

[Andy Adcock]

Black kite

Hmm, not sure about that, central tail feathers seem to be longer than outer?

 

[Butty]

Spread tail, pointed tail-corners. Central feathers looking a bit longer isn't unusual.

 

[Aladdin]

Hmm, not sure about that, central tail feathers seem to be longer than outer?

Thanks!

The only tails reminds of my bird are the Steppe and Imperial but the head colour is not right.

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Spread tail, pointed tail-corners. Central feathers looking a bit longer isn't unusual.

Thank you!

I looked at internet, BLACK KITE THAILAND and I didn't know if there have been a name change. But the result shows Black-eared Kite and it have light on top of the wings as well.

Both Black Kite and Black eared kite is having the same name, Milvus Migrans so maybe this is the same bird

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[HouseCrow]

Black-eared Kite is the East-Asian (sub)species of Black Kite. There are a few other subspecies in Asia. I haven't got the knowledge to tell the other ssp apart from nominate but I don't instantly recognize this as Black-eared (which is the standard in Thailand).

just my extra inf.
cheers,
G erben

 

[MacNara]

Spread tail, pointed tail-corners. Central feathers looking a bit longer isn't unusual.

Actually, I think it is 'unusual' in adult birds, but less so in juvenile birds.

 

[Aladdin]

Black-eared Kite is the East-Asian (sub)species of Black Kite. There are a few other subspecies in Asia. I haven't got the knowledge to tell the other ssp apart from nominate but I don't instantly recognize this as Black-eared (which is the standard in Thailand).

just my extra inf.
cheers,
G erben

Cheers!
I reported the bird as a Black Kite in eBird and there was 3 options. And I as a quite bad birder don't understand. And the Black Kite is not the only bird that have these options when I report birds.
1) Black Kite
2) Black Kite (black)
3) Black Kite ( Black eared)

This must be the options for professionals. Option 2, well, I have no clue. And #3 must be a Subspecies. I looked for BLACK KITE searching pictures and then I discovered the BLACK EARED but I don't know if I can see any difference.

Kind Regards
Aladdin

 

[Aladdin]

Actually, I think it is 'unusual' in adult birds, but less so in juvenile birds.

Cheers MacNara!

I have reported the bird as a Black Kite in eBird. I still looking on internet for pictures. But as I mentioned, the only tails I can find that fits is the eagle, but it is very hard to see the size of the bird with nothing to compare with.

I am just back from Sweden where I spent time in hide to get pictures of raptors. The buzzard was flying quite low in comparison with the kites. The kites was soaring quite high and they were easy to recognize with their special (beautiful to watch) way of turning around a dime by adjusting their tail.

The eagles was easy to make out as they were soaring very high, just like a small dot and only way to ID them was to try to take a pic to see if it was a Golden or White tail. But the black backed gulls were even higher up as a small white dot.

This bird, just an estimation by me and it looked to be soaring in the kite height. But again, I just watching birds to enjoy the beauty of the nature, but I picking up a thing or two every time I am out there.

Kind regards
Aladdin

 

[Bitis]

Cheers!
I reported the bird as a Black Kite in eBird and there was 3 options. And I as a quite bad birder don't understand. And the Black Kite is not the only bird that have these options when I report birds.
1) Black Kite
2) Black Kite (black)
3) Black Kite ( Black eared)

This must be the options for professionals. Option 2, well, I have no clue. And #3 must be a Subspecies. I looked for BLACK KITE searching pictures and then I discovered the BLACK EARED but I don't know if I can see any difference.

Kind Regards
Aladdin

I don't use e-bird to report birds, but probably:

1) Just the species, without mentioning a subspecies (Milvus migrans)
2) Nominate subspecies (Milvus migrans migrans)
3) Black-eared subspecies (Milvus migrans lineatus)

 

[Aladdin]

I don't use e-bird to report birds, but probably:

1) Just the species, without mentioning a subspecies (Milvus migrans)
2) Nominate subspecies (Milvus migrans migrans)
3) Black-eared subspecies (Milvus migrans lineatus)

Thank you Bitis!

I think I understand now. I had to study the web page "Subspecies facts for kids" Before I thought you had a Nominate Species and then the subspecies splitting up under. But as I understand it now, after reading the "Subspecies facts for kids" the subspecies are split up under the Nominate subspecies thus the Black Eared comes in as number 3 under the Nominate subspecies.

Thank you, appreciated!
Aladdin

 

[Bitis]

Thank you Bitis!

I think I understand now. I had to study the web page "Subspecies facts for kids" Before I thought you had a Nominate Species and then the subspecies splitting up under. But as I understand it now, after reading the "Subspecies facts for kids" the subspecies are split up under the Nominate subspecies thus the Black Eared comes in as number 3 under the Nominate subspecies.

Thank you, appreciated!
Aladdin

I'm not really sure what you mean by "number 3 under the nominate subspecies". Basically: if two or more populations of a species drift apart from each other (genetically), then at one point you could describe it as a subspecies or a new species, depending on how far apart they are genetically. But one has to be careful because this classification is man-made after all and there are different definitions of what is a "species", a "subspecies", ... and there is no rule that says at what percentage of dna difference for example it is a different species or subspecies.
But if there are different subspecies (that has not to be the case with every species), there is always one subspecies that has the same subspecies-name as the species-name, this subspecies is also called nominate subspecies (in this case M. migrans migrans). Most of the time the nominate population is the one, that was described originally.
(Maybe an example for understanding --> Milvus migrans lineatus: First name is the Genus (Milvus), second name is the species (migrans) and third name is the subspecies (lineatus))

So if you don`t want/need to be thorough or don't know the subspecies you could just call every Black Kite, no matter where or what subspecies, Milvus migrans (this would include M. migrans migrans, M. migrans lineatus and all the other subspecies there are). If you know the subspecies of an observed bird you could also report it with the subspecies-name.

all the best

 

[johnallcock]

I don't use e-bird to report birds, but probably:

1) Just the species, without mentioning a subspecies (Milvus migrans)
2) Nominate subspecies (Milvus migrans migrans)
3) Black-eared subspecies (Milvus migrans lineatus)

This is more or less correct. eBird uses 'subspecies groups' that they consider identifiable in the field - the subspecies group can be recognised on the list by the names in brackets at the end. If there is more than one subspecies group listed, then the reviewer thinks that more than one is possible at that location. There is more info on the subspecies groups on Cornell's Birds of the World website (if you have access).

In the case of Black Kite:

• Black Kite refers to the species. Use this name if you are not sure about the subspecies.
• Black Kite (Black) includes the subspecies migrans, govinda and affinis.
• Black Kite (Black-eared) includes the subspecies lineatus and formosanus.
• Black Kite (Yellow-billed) includes the subspecies aegyptius and parasitus.

I think in Thailand you can see govinda (Black) and lineatus (Black-eared).

Please be careful with using the subspecies. You should only use this if you are sure which subspecies is involved. As a reviewer, I get many records flagged for me to look at because they involve a subspecies that doesn't occur or is very rare in the region, when the record should have been submitted at a species level. It can be very frustrating spending time unnecessarily reviewing (and sometimes rejecting) records like this.

 

[Butty]

I note that I'm still the only person to have indicated that the OP's bird is a black kite.

 

[MacNara]

I note that I'm still the only person to have indicated that the OP's bird is a black kite.

Apologies, Butty: in my post #8 above, I took your ID to be correct (and I thought that was clear) - I merely pointed out that in my personal experience, the tail not looking forked is more unusual in adult birds and less so in juveniles (but as you say, when completely spread may seem more buzzard-like in adults, also).

 

[Butty]

as you say, when completely spread may seem more buzzard-like in adults, also

To be clear, I didn't say that, nor anything very like it - but never mind, let's not get bogged down 👍🏻

 

[johnallcock]

I note that I'm still the only person to have indicated that the OP's bird is a black kite.

Haha, good point. Yes, I agree it's a Black Kite