mystery raptor

[royc]

Hi,
Can anybody help me ID this raptor which flew over our hotel in Eilat,Israel.It`s not a brilliant photo as i had had to be quick.

[Colin Key]

When was this taken Roy?

[royc]

When was this taken Roy?

The photo was taken 31.03.2009

[Colin Key]

If this was photographed in autumn, I would hazard a guess (from a less than perfect image!) that this is a 2nd c.y. Lesser Spotted Eagle in a fairly advanced state of moult - but I am often wrong.

Colin :err:

P.S. I have "fiddled" with this image in PS but it is just too small - do you have any other photos, or could you post the original (out of camera) of this image?

[Colin Key]

Ahh, we cross-posted. So, no further forward without a better image or better raptor expert.

Colin

[Colin Key]

This was the best I could do to try and enhance the image - not much improvement:

http://s118.photobucket.com/albums/o100/Passarinhos/Rapto_435copy.jpg

Colin

[tern15r]

hi royc and colin,this is my first reply on this forum -so be gentle with me! despite the risk of being wrong,i believe the said raptor is bang on for imm eastern imperial eagle...

[CAU]

To me it looks more like a Steppe Eagle, especially due to the long fingers and P4 in particular. Also the largely greyish hand, the pale throat and the large looking bill point towards Steppe Eagle. The age is difficult to assess because of the small picture, but it should be a subadult bird (older than 2cy, 2cy eagles start to moult usually in May). The apparent moult contrast between P6 and P7 points perhaps towards a 3cy bird (with juvenal four outer primaries).

[Colin Key]

Interesting, Steppe Eagle and Imperial Eagle were my 2nd and 3rd options (in that order)! The undertail colouring really pins it to one of these three species. But I can hardly believe that this is "spring" (March) plumage - the bird looks very "ragged".

Better image required (preferably with wings outstretched).

Colin

[Colin Key]

hi royc and colin,this is my first reply on this forum -so be gentle with me! despite the risk of being wrong,i believe the said raptor is bang on for imm eastern imperial eagle...

Welcome to the forum "tern15R" - it would be nice to have a "real name" (first name at least) and where you are located.

Best wishes,

Colin

[CAU]

A younger subadult Imperial Eagle would have pale inner primaries and a straw-coloured underside of the body with a streaked breast. Some older subadult Eastern Imperial Eagles might look more similar to this bird, but I believe that they often have a dark throat already. Anyway, IMO the apparent moult pattern of the bird points towards a 3cy bird, which would rule out Eastern Imperial.

Colin, spring 3cy Steppe Eagles (and also other eagles) have still mostly worn juvenal remiges. Usually about the six or seven innermost primaries have been replaced, and also some outer secondaries (which look longer than the worn juvenal secondaries). Check here for images of spring 3cy Steppe Eagles (scroll down a bit):
http://www.tarsiger.com/gallery/index.php?sp=find&lang=eng&order=nro,paiva%20DESC&species=11290

Edit: Now that I think again about the age, it's probably older than 3cy based on the rather dark looking carpal areas. Older Steppe Eagles are also more likely not to show a white wing bar. Regarding the differences to Eastern Imperial Eagle, for example this 4cy bird has already a dark throat, although being otherwise rather pale:
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=14235

[tern15r]

i still think eastern imperial,mainly for pale chin and throat,then darker breast followed by pale belly,vent and thighs.i cannot see much steppe eagle in this bird.name+location to follow.but they look like 2 dirrerent birds between the first image and colins processed image.

[CAU]

For example this older subadult Steppe Eagle does show a similar colouration of the underbody:
http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=19823
On the other hand, the Eastern Imperial Eagle that I linked in my previous post does not show such a combination.

[Brian S]

I'd go with CAU, and suggest Steppe Eagle....

Brian S

[JanJ]

Me to.

JanJ