Can anyone ID this raptor from Ranthambore, India (1 Viewer)

[mtrevillion]

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

That’s weird, I thought there was a different image before (that looked like a juvenile Grey-faced Buzzard! 😳) I think the OP may be a Besra but could a Shrika on reflection?

Oriental Bird Club Image Database : Shikra » Accipiter badius

The OP has a yellow orbital ring which points to Besra -( not entirely happy about the tail pattern though 😏)

 

[mtrevillion]

That’s weird, I thought there was a different image before (that looked like a juvenile Grey-faced Buzzard! 😳) I think the OP may be a Besra but could a Shrika on reflection?

Oriental Bird Club Image Database : Shikra » Accipiter badius

The OP has a yellow orbital ring which points to Besra -( not entirely happy about the tail pattern though 😏)

Perfect thanks. Is this the phot you were referring to? Is it a grey faced buzzard?

 

[tconzemi]

I think the OP may be a Besra but could a Shrika on reflection?
The OP has a yellow orbital ring which points to Besra -( not entirely happy about the tail pattern though 😏)

unbarred central tail feathers: must be Shikra

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Perfect thanks. Is this the phot you were referring to? Is it a grey faced buzzard?

Sorry, I didn’t notice your question the other day.

Grey-faced was my instant gut reaction when I got a few seconds to see it before you took the image down!

Now I look at it again, I still think this is an immature Grey-faced Buzzard - the only problem is, this would be a very rare vagrant according to all the range maps I looked at, which is holding me up here.

However, I know no other bird in the b.buteo/rufinus complex that has 4 bold bands on the tail like that. It is long winged and long tailed, also has a very distinctive face pattern with this obvious white markings (extensive in juveniles) over the very bright yellow eye and widening above the ear coverts - all good G-f features. Rump appears to show white ground with dark mottling, another Grey-faced Buzzard feature. It should show a dark mesial line down the side of the throat but I think this is just obscured by the posture. Hopefully someone else will be able to provide additional insight.

Now please tell me you didn’t see this in India and I will be happy 😁
Ps Have sent you a PM for the location.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Now please tell me you didn’t see this in India and I will be happy 😁

I note from your other recent postings that you have photos from Borneo - I think a good explanation here would be you got your raptor pictures muddled up and this Grey-faced Buzzard (which I am 100% it surely is apart from India being the location!) you actually saw in Borneo maybe - or in that general region?

I have been trying to find records for Grey-faced Buzzard in India - I could only find one and that was in the Nicobar Islands over 25yrs ago and none on the mainland so either my ID is incorrect, or this is a first for mainland India, or I have been duped - I think it’s the latter 🙃

or none of the above and it’s a captive/escaped bird ....

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Thank you Mtrevillion for confirming the image was taken in Ranthambore in June 2019. I wonder if you can remember the circumstances of your sighting or have any images with landscape on them? Or, as noted above, is there any way this image could have got mixed up in your files?

This is certainly an imm Grey-faced Buzzard but if the photo is from the month of June (mating season/monsoon period at least in Ranthambore) I am thinking it can’t be a 1cy and there appear to be gaps in the flight feathers which look in an advance state of wear - I would guess, judging by the head pattern a 2cy, so if anyone else wants to jump in here please on the possible provenance? It looks to me it could be missing a few inner and outer primaries on one wing - moult or pinioned? Or is it just positioning?

( The nearest winter range for wild birds would be Burma (scarce) andThailand and the nearest breeding range Eastern Asia from what I understand of the maps).

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Come on people! A potential first for India and no one has anything to contribute towards this thread?

The chances are escaped bird or file mix up but still, the lack of interest here surprises me to say the least.

I have asked for permission to email the image to an ornithological contact in India and awaiting a response.

 

[jalid]

Yes, it looks like a Grey-faced Buzzard indeed. Young White-eyed Buzzard is the most similar Indian species, but it shows typically narrower bands on redder tail and is more streaked on mantle and back, and with paler wing-coverts, and generally paler head without such contrasting supercilium.

According to EXIF data, the photo is taken 25 June 2018 (not 2019).

 

[Deb Burhinus]

According to EXIF data, the photo is taken 25 June 2018 (not 2019).

Thank you Jalid!

Well spotted - I wonder if the mistake on the date then will solve the mystery and the Indian files indeed have been mixed up.

 

[RafaelMatias]

Can the tree species be useful in making one location more likely than the other?

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Can the tree species be useful in making one location more likely than the other?

Apologies to everyone !

The OP has just PM’d an apology and that “it WAS Borneo” where he took the images - it’s easily done with digital images.

Thank you to Graham, Andy and Jalid - the go to experts! 😁

(now I am embarrassed for being hopeful 🤗)