Raptor ID Help - Valdetorres de Jarama, Spain, 29 April, 2024 (1 Viewer)

[CTWarb]

Birding with a guide, Carlos, and took these pics between photos of Red Kite, Black Kite, Lesser Kestrel, Common Buzzard and others. I thought it was a Common Buzzard, but it isn't matching up to my satisfaction. The wing tips are quite square in some photos, the tail is only slightly rounded, and the color pattern doesn't fit what I find in Svensson's Birds of Europe or eBird photos.

I'm sorry for the poor quality pics. I had something wrong in my settings and was to excited to be seeing so many cool birds that I didn't carefully review before starting.

Thank you for any thoughts/light you can shed. I may need to get Forsman's Flight Identification of Raptors if I'm lucky enough to spend more time in Spain. Anyone have thoughts on that book?

 

[Southern Viking]

Spanish Imperial Eagle. Can see the white leading edge on the forewing and the sides of the golden shawl on the head. Too dark overall and the 7-fingered primaries rule out Common Buzzard for example. The white leading edge rules out Golden Eagle

 

[Harrybongo]

Hi. Pic 3, looks like an adult Spanish Imperial Eagle? - white leading edge to the wing, thick dark trailing band to the tail.

 

[CTWarb]

Spanish Imperial Eagle. Can see the white leading edge on the forewing and the sides of the golden shawl on the head. Too dark overall and the 7-fingered primaries rule out Common Buzzard for example. The white leading edge rules out Golden Eagle

Thank you kindly. I was suspecting Eagle, maybe even Spanish Imperial Eagle (which we saw well at our next stop, Monte de El Pardo) based on the picture and comparing to references, but I didn't remember or realize that we'd had one at this stop, too. So cool!!

 

[CTWarb]

Hi. Pic 2, looks like an adult Spanish Imperial Eagle? - white leading edge to the wing, thick dark trailing band to the tail.

Thank you. Much appreciated.