Author Topic: What kind of bird of prey is this?? (Read 1190 times)

derelict · « **Reply #30 on:** January 08, 2008, 06:54:13 PM »

We have a Sparrow Hawk here at the house, watched it kill and eat a Pidgeon last week

I have lots of pictures of it and it looks nothing like that.

We have several Red Tail Hawks up at our cabin in the mountains where I hunt. I've wathed them for years both at rest and in flight. Saw 4 of them yeaterday, they look nothing like those pictures.

We also have a nesting pair of Bald Eagles up there that have a very similar body shape......but not the same coloring.

I spent 4 years working the Tennessee River / Kentucky River / Cumberland Lake regions of Tennessee and Kentucky and saw many many Golden Eagles (the locals called them "American Eagles")....and that is sure what it looks like to me!

MORAY37 · « **Reply #31 on:** January 09, 2008, 07:25:52 AM »

Being a biologist, (although I work in the marine environment) I've been trying to work an identification with those pictures. You need to get closer and get better pics if possible. The white wing bars in the one pic are very interesting.... and not indicative of species in your area.

Just from the look of it.. family Accipitridae, order Falconiforme.

Look up Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni), and see if it matches what you see.

I would really like you to get a pic of the neck area if possible. You may have a species that isn't local to your area... and actually should be wintering in Northern Mexico. I'd like to confirm it with better pics... but I'd need to see the head. Even with photoshop... just can't get res.

If it is what my first guess is...and I'm definately not a birder... I'd recommend you report it and get an ornithologist to document it... it may be a very significant sighting.

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #32 on:** January 09, 2008, 08:36:56 AM »

I've had my digital camera charged and ready to go for the last few days. But I haven't seen the bird. I'll see if I can spot him today.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #33 on:** January 09, 2008, 09:07:12 AM »

Is it an osprey?

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #34 on:** January 09, 2008, 09:12:58 AM »

It flew directly overhead one day, and its entire underside was a light coffee color. I noticed yesterday that my neighbor's guinea flock is down to two birds now. So I believe its eaten three of them since November.

Sandman · « **Reply #35 on:** January 09, 2008, 12:24:00 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Meatwad
If it aint protected, blast it out of the sky, or shoot it anyway for killing the guineas

Post the pictures on the PETA board and send us the link

Aren't all birds of prey protected in the U.S.?

SIK1 · « **Reply #36 on:** January 09, 2008, 01:37:44 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Sandman
Aren't all birds of prey protected in the U.S.?

Yes, they are.

SlapShot · « **Reply #37 on:** January 09, 2008, 03:16:32 PM »

The silhouette of your in-flight picture looks so much like a Turkey Vulture, along with the description of the "cream" coloring of the feathers under the wings.

The length of the wings in proportion to the body does not look like a typical raptor.

MiloMorai · « **Reply #38 on:** January 09, 2008, 04:12:07 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by lasersailor184
Is it an osprey?

The Osprey's food is fish.

AquaShrimp, what would you estimate the wingspan as? For the Red-tailed Hawk it is ~4ft. For a Cooper's Hawk it is 2-3ft.

from
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/results.html?cx=012043341359960757453%3Attajgxxd_rc&cof=FORID%3A11&q=hawks&sa=Search

SlapShot · « **Reply #39 on:** January 09, 2008, 04:35:39 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by MiloMorai
The Osprey's food is fish.

AquaShrimp, what would you estimate the wingspan as? For the Red-tailed Hawk it is ~4ft. For a Cooper's Hawk it is 2-3ft.

from
http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/results.html?cx=012043341359960757453%3Attajgxxd_rc&cof=FORID%3A11&q=hawks&sa=Search

Did you look at this photo that he took ?

http://k4emq.home.insightbb.com/birdflying.JPG

The size of the wingspan in the picture in relationship to the distance from which he took the photo, I would think that the wingspan far exceeds 4ft.

derelict · « **Reply #40 on:** January 09, 2008, 04:49:33 PM »

The flying picture looked like a Turkey Vulture to me also, but he said it killed fresh meat and vultures don't do that :shrug: Thats why I was thinking Eagle maybe....something that would make a fresh kill, but would also have wingtip feathers that stuck out like that (and that long a wing spread to boot).

AquaShrimp · « **Reply #41 on:** January 09, 2008, 10:08:01 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by SlapShot
The silhouette of your in-flight picture looks so much like a Turkey Vulture, along with the description of the "cream" coloring of the feathers under the wings.

The length of the wings in proportion to the body does not look like a typical raptor.

While we do have alot of turkey vultures around here, this bird was not one. When it was perched on top of a high-tension power pole one day, I saw it through a pair of binoculars. In the full sunlight, the bird's chest was almost white.

From the coloration, I'm going to guess that its probably just a large red-tailed hawk.

lasersailor184 · « **Reply #42 on:** January 09, 2008, 10:17:34 PM »

Aquashrimp, I think the key feature you should be looking at is the little crest of feathers at the back of the head.

That's why I suggested the Caracara and Osprey.