Sri Lanka, August 2018 (1 Viewer)

[julienl]

Hey everyone,

My mother sent me some pictures from Sri Lanka to ID and I have a few left.

1) Changeable hawk-eagle - Pale Morph ?
2) Crested honey buzzard ?
3) No idea about this one

Thanks !

 

[Earnest lad]

I think the first bird could be Crested Hawk Eagle (otherwise known as Changeable Hawk Eagle)

I think the cormorant species would most likely be the Indian Cormorant and second choice would be Great Cormorant (one or the other of these two but leaning toward the Indian Cormorant because I think it is not a robust enough bird to be Great cormorant.

As for the latter Bird of Prey I thought to be honest the head is wrong for Oriental Honey Buzzard but I don't know what it is unless it is the Black Eagle-maybe a juvenile or female of that species.

 

[julienl]

Yeah the third bird looks like a Cormorant but this heavy white straight bill is bothering me.

 

[andyb39]

1. Agree with Crested (Changeable) Hawk-eagle - this is a juvenile. I'm not sure why the crest isn't visible.
2. Black Eagle.
3. Indian Cormorant. I don't think it does have a large white bill - it looks like there's a floating leaf behind it which is making the bill look large. Slight build, long tail and white throat.

 

[Earnest lad]

I hadn't taken into account the floating leaf behind the bill.
I could be mistaken but now I took a closer look at the bill I get the impression this is a Little Cormorant. The bill looks to be a short one and too short for an Indian Cormorant. Still I could be mistaken

 

[RafaelMatias]

#2: I understand why it might look "wrong" for Oriental Honey Buzzard, but it is one IMO. Note Black Eagle is a much bulkier bird, with longer primaries (they reach at least the tip of the tail?), stronger legs and round nostril (the elongated nostril the bird in the OP photo shows is pretty much diagnostic for Pernis).

 

[Earnest lad]

Dear Sir
Thank you for sharing that knowledge in this matter. I defer to your diagnosis. On reflection your diagnosis of Oriental Honey Buzzard to me seems preferable.

 

[julienl]

I don't think it does have a large white bill - it looks like there's a floating leaf behind it which is making the bill look large

I've just realised that...It's a cormorant indeed.

 

[Earnest lad]

Dear Sir
Whilst it is indeed a Cormorant, there are 3 species of Cormorant in Sri Lanka
These are :

Great Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Little Cormorant

When one zooms in to the bill with your photo, one can see bill-shape (admittedly this is not easy to see with a whitish bill against a whitish background) However one can just make out the outline of the bill. The bill is a small short almost "triangular shaped" bill, which is not like that of either the Great or the Indian Cormorant. However, if you check photos online, it is just like the bill of Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger of which species I am fairly confident this bird is one.

More experienced birders than myself may well either confirm or contradict this .

 

[Earnest lad]

Dear Sir
Whilst it is indeed a Cormorant, there are 3 species of Cormorant in Sri Lanka
These are :

Great Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Little Cormorant

When one zooms in to the bill with your photo, one can see bill-shape in my view, rules out Great Cormorant and Indian Cormorant.

I am strongly of the opinion that your photo is one of Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger

 

[andyb39]

#2: I understand why it might look "wrong" for Oriental Honey Buzzard, but it is one IMO. Note Black Eagle is a much bulkier bird, with longer primaries (they reach at least the tip of the tail?), stronger legs and round nostril (the elongated nostril the bird in the OP photo shows is pretty much diagnostic for Pernis).

It is slim-looking for Black Eagle, although it is one of the slimmer eagles, and the tarsi look to be unfeathered on a closer look. The iris is yellow, not brownish as on BE. The bill is on the heavy side for OHB though, and there's far too much yellow, not just on the cere but also on the nail portion. I can't comment on the nostril shape as I can't make it out.

 

[RafaelMatias]

The bill is on the heavy side for OHB though,

Agreed

and there's far too much yellow, not just on the cere but also on the nail portion. I can't comment on the nostril shape as I can't make it out.

My take on this is that there's only yellow on the cere, the dark near-vertical line (that I understand you're interpreting as being the cere/bill contact) being actually the nostril (as in here).

 

[andyb39]

Dear Sir
Whilst it is indeed a Cormorant, there are 3 species of Cormorant in Sri Lanka
These are :

Great Cormorant
Indian Cormorant
Little Cormorant

When one zooms in to the bill with your photo, one can see bill-shape in my view, rules out Great Cormorant and Indian Cormorant.

I am strongly of the opinion that your photo is one of Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger

Really struggling to see the bill here - is it open? I must say the eye looks dark, not bottle-green as in Indian, and there probably isn't much yellow on the bare face parts. Immature Little can show a pale throat. It looks a little short-necked, but that could be posture.

 

[PYRTLE]

Little Cormorant for me too, you can just make out the shorter open bill giving it a Pygmy Cormorant profile.
P

 

[andyb39]

Agreed


My take on this is that there's only yellow on the cere, the dark near-vertical line (that I understand you're interpreting as being the cere/bill contact) being actually the nostril (as in here).

Sorry, clumsily edited. I mean that from what I can see, only the nail part of the bil is dark, the rest being yellow. I can see the nostril, I just can't tell what shape it is.