Hi guys, new member here,
See this beauty skimming along the tree tops most mornings at my place, certain its a Square tailed kite but just wanting consensus as they are not at all common where I live. Even got harrassed at one stage by what I think is a Brown goshawk, too far away to be sure, will put the pic in see what you think.
Hi Saturn, nice pictures you have there!
Could you please post where it was you took the photos?
However, I don't think your bird is a Square Tailed Kite- they have bars on their flight feathers and tail.
My thought would be that it is an immature Black Breasted Buzzard, based purely on Picture 2. Are all the photos of the same bird?
Looks very much like a Square-tailed Kite, while adults have a grey crown, yours does not seem to have one, which indicates it is an immature bird. The second photo shows a typical ventral view of a Square-tailed Kite and the fourth is a good one for ID-ing it as an immature.
Buzzards' tails are really close to the wings' trailing edges, not like in shot two above and they also have a very big, heavy bill, which is not present in this bird.
Hi Lachlan,
These pics were taken from my deck at Farmborough Hts near Wollongong. I live along a ridge line and whenever the wind has any southerly component this raptor, sometimes two of them, glide along the ridge at tree top height and sometimes even lower, scanning for prey. Very much typical behavior of Square tailed kites? These pics are all of the same bird which I believe is probably a youngster. I will put some more pics up next time they come around. Also lucky enough to have resident Grey goshawks who live in the area, one of them being a white morph : )
Ok, well if you are in Wollongong it definitely isn't a Black Breasted Buzzard.
I still don't think it is a Square Tailed Kite- yes they do behave like that, but there is no barring in the flight feathers or on the tail. Now with the location, my thought is a Little Eagle.
Hi Lachlan
It is definitely not a Little Eagle. Little Eagles have very short, stumpy, rounded tails and a distinct M shape (white) under the wings in light morph birds and not these markings. I am forwarding these pics to my friend Steve Debus. Please google his name if you are not sure who he is.
In case you are also interested, I've had quite a few of my raptor images published in Steve's recently revised Field guide to Australian raptors. In other words, I am usually pretty confident in my ID skills, especially with my local species (I live in Sydney).
Cheers
My suggestion for anyone wanting to ID Aussie raptors is to get a copy of Dr Stephen Debus' book:
http://www.publish.csiro.au/pid/6654.htm
Here is Steve Debus' reply to your photos SaturnV78
Hi Akos,
Yes, definitely juvenile Square-tailed Kite. If
it was a Little Eagle it would show large
feathered legs, more complete barring on the
flight feathers, shorter barred tail, and more
robust bill. It has very long primary 'fingers',
tiny feet, long flared tail with minimal barring,
and a fine bill (all square-tail characters). A
young Buzzard would have bigger bill and feet,
shorter tail and no barring (not that one would
turn up near Wollongong). This could be an
interesting breeding record of the Square-tail
for the Illawarra, though it was only a matter of
time, because they're all over the rest of the
NSW coast. By now, juveniles could be dispersing from the natal territory.
After the field guide mark II (2012) I don't know
what else I can do to help people ID raptors; I
guess if it ever goes to a 3rd edition, include more photos of juveniles.
Cheers,
Steve
Hi Cannonguy,
Many thanks for sending my pics to Steve, I have a copy of his first edition Australian birds of prey field guide and am getting the updated one very soon, only heard about it a few days ago. Pretty cool to have a couple of Square tailed kites cruising past my place most days : ) I can cross it off my list of sighted raptors now..