Help please!!!
We have a new and unknown visitor. We are between Sully and Barry in south Wales looking out over the Bristol Channel. We have a bird of prey, roughly 2-3 times the size of a magpie. It has a pretty large wingspan. First seen 9/12, it is still around today.
It appears and sits in the tall trees near the shore, drops to the ground for what looks like food and occasionally hovers / glides above the trees. It has brown plumage, with a white chest and light-coloured underside. It has a dark breastplate under the neck and above the generally white underside. It has dark brown / black feathered legs (like feathery trousers). It calls with a sharp "keeoo" sound when circling / hovering. It appears to get a response from another bird - so perhaps there is a pair. Some sort of buzzard / eagle?
Haven't been able to get any pictures up close but will keep trying. Any ideas / advice please?
Regards, Gareth
Thanks for that, which is very helpful. I'll try and get some photos. G
Certainly sounds like the description and behaviour of a Rough legged Buzzard,a fairly rare winter visitor,not sure if any have been reported in your area.Of course it may be a more usual Common Buzzard.
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Sounds like a common buzzard from the description.
Odd, Seamans reply didn't appear when I first posted!
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Sounds like a common buzzard to me Gareth, have a look at the link to our species profile page for this imposing raptor here. At this time of year they will be taking any carrion they can find but also preying on small mammals and worms.
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Hello there. The description does sound good for Rough-legged Buzzard - hope you manage to get photos! Other features (shown by most RLBs) to check are tail pattern (pale with a broad dark bar at the end) and underside of the wings (mostly pale but with a prominent dark marking at the bend or wrist joint).
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I think owing to the westerly location, it would seem better for Common. Plumage fits perfectly and they do hover. No need to suggest a rarer option.
It could be, but seems unlikely.
Thank you all for the suggestions and guidance. Much appreciated. I have seen the bird again today, but soaring over the woods and when it landed in the trees, it blended in with the branches, so only had a black blob for the photo. I'll assume it is a buzzard - and it did have a black bar across the tail - so will keep trying for reasonable photos though. Thanks again for all your help.
Michael M I think owing to the westerly location, it would seem better for Common. Plumage fits perfectly and they do hover. No need to suggest a rarer option. It could be, but seems unlikely.
The OP described the bird as having a pale underside but with blackish 'trousers'. Such a combination would be very unusual in Common Buzzard, variable though it is (!) - pale Common Buzzards tend to be pale all over. However, the pattern sounds correct for RLB.
Missed the trouser bit!
However, the extent of the feathering could be confusing, as the upper leg of CB is often covered by feathers, and RLB goes all the way down.
This CB pic shows what i mean:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fa/Buteo_buteo_-Scotland-8.jpg/450px-Buteo_buteo_-Scotland-8.jpg
RLB:
Both are very vaiable and for a scarcity I'd like a pic to confirm, but seeing the trouser bit it does look promising.
For the OP i think a pic would be the best action, or look at the tail pattern.
Hope ive explained that well!
I wasn't talking about the extent of the feathering, but the contrast in colour. That was what got me thinking possible RLB as that species usually has pale underparts with a contrasting dark belly patch (which can easily look like dark feathering around the legs if the bird is sitting down in a relaxed posture). As you say, both species have 'trousers' and it is the short feathering on the tarsi, usually not visible except at very close range (as in your photo, which is a Rough-legged Buzzard), that distinguishes them.
The RLB suggestion was only made on the trousers and also the hovering.A common seems to hang in the wind rather than true hovering,or at least the birds up here in the dales do.Having said that the probabilities are more in favour of a common.
Sorry, the ics have messed up. The pic is RLB, the CB stayed as a link.
I see what you mean Aiki, I'm always sceptic with a rarity, and i know these aren't always as simple as first seems (although not impossible).
Hey, I wouldn't be surprised if it turns out to be Common Buzzard - on location/likelihood that is by far the more probable option... but the description really did put me in mind of RLB. With any luck Gareth will be able to get a photo and we can resolve this one :)