Hello Folks
These guys do a few passes most days (Nowra NSW). Seen here being harrassed by nesting Magpie-Lark.
With patience I will get some better pictures, but these are the best I can manage so far with a 55-200 Lens.
Am thinking Wedge Tailed Eagle, but the tail looks wrong.
Would appreciate any expert or educated opinion.
Cheers David,
If you asked me, you are right, Wedge-tailed Eagles look like that from the side.
M-L
Thanks Araminta, for the quick reply, any help is greatly appreciated.
I'll make a menace of myself with quite few more ID's before I am done.
Cheers.
That tail looks as tho' it belongs to a fork-tailed kite.
I am pretty certain you have a Square-tailed Kite here. They hunt low over the treetops, as their primary source of food is nestlings.
Thanks for the replies, I've attached two more zoomed sections from that sequence of shots, there is something trailing from the tail. I'd thought Square Tailed Kite and after looking at the other shots I'm again uncertain.
I'll keep trying for some better pics, but am stuck in Sydney, in Myna bird hell, for a week or so.
Thanks for all the expert replies.
I am not sure that the lower bird is a raptor, look at its head an beak.
Also eagles have six primary flight feathers, hawks have five.
They are not Wedge-tailes.
Well, I have been looking for some photos, that just show the silhouette of the Wedge-tailed Eagle.(I do have one from the side, can't find it right now) There was only the one bird, and as you can see, I clearly the tail of the eagle, 2 from a different angle looks more square. Will post the side one when I find it.
M-L
The reason it looks odd is because it's looking back, and up at its assailant. It's still in my opinion a Square-tailed Kite. Go and lighten the original image you posted and I can almost make out a light grey/white crown.
The key to identifying this bird may be scale compared to the Magpie-Lark which are tiny compared to a Wedge-tail, but the tail is also a problem. I have several wedge-tailed eagle shots that look forked, but not from the side, when the tail looks triangular or forked the point of the diamond part is tucked down lower and when viewed from the side you can still see it. I also think the chest is too deep. I think its a much smaller bird, more like the size of a crow or kite.
I agree with Geoff, both the head and in particular the beak do not look like they belong to a Wedge Tail.
I've 'googled' images of Square-tailed Kites and I reckon you're right Windhover, I also tweeaked up the levels on David's pic and no Wedgy has stripes like that on the primaries. Roger