Raptors of the world

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Ours has been renamed yellow billed kite (North Africa kept the black kite label). It's my practice BIF bird and I've always struggled with the exposure. I've seen over 50 in one place when there's a free meal. There was one rescue - release bird that thought the best game was to sneak up behind people and tap them on the head. Not popular with some people.
Peter
Interesting - YBK vs BK. here in SA, they are two, distinct species. YBK is Milvus parasitus vs the BK Milvus migrans, The YB has a much deeper fork in the tail than the BK. I shot what I thought was BK in the Kgalagadi, but an expert told me it was juvie YBK. Here are 2 YBK that I thought was BK from Kgalagadi TFP. And then the perching one is a YBK.

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Notice, no fork in the tail
Here is the YBK, the fork is there even while sitting.

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Here is one from Richardsbay; he has stolen the bait, and line, off a fisherman.

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Note the yellow bill vs the black bill on BK. The YBK has a dark reddish eye.
 
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Another beaut vulture, not common ~ Kruger NP

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I haven't seen a white headed for about 4 years now. Really struggling like the rest. I've noticed jackel shots are getting easier and I've put it down to vultures getting hammered. So these guys don't get to poison the lion because it's gone but do get rabies because of what they did get.
 
Northern Saw-Whet Owl

I took this photo early this morning in a public park of Quebec City; it was very cold and the owl was sleeping until she wakes up for a short time (y)
D500 + 500 PF @ 1/640, F/5.6, ISO 900

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Steppe Eagle - photographed in Saudi Arabia. Only available camera was Nikon1 J3 with FT1 adapter and FX 70-300 mm lens.
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Steppe Eagle - photographed in Saudi Arabia. Only available camera was Nikon1 J3 with FT1 adapter and FX 70-300 mm lens.
I’ve got a soft spot for these. There’s been quite a bit of research using tracking packs that’s worth checking out. Even if you have posted, I can’t resist adding my own.
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Lizard Buzzard, Kaupifalco monogrammicus ~ Kruger NP ~ not one we often see!

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Cape Vulture, Gyps coprotheres, ~ vulnerable~ Giant's Castle, Kwazulu/Natal
Note the light eye vs dark on the White-backed Vulture
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In flight mugshot

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White-backed Vulture, Gyps africanus - a sometimes handsome vulture
From Kruger and Hluhluwe–Imfolozi Park,
Curling fingers - juvie

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You almost never can see the white back when the bird is at rest

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I have seen and shot many African Fish-Eagle, Haliaeetus vocifer, but never yet the magical stretch, grab and off with the fish shot. However, I have seen it hover like a kingfisher, plonk down and come-up vertically like can be seen on this image below.
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Juvie

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juvie and adult Hooded Vulture, Necrosyrtes monachus, ~ Kruger NP

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The guy with attitude and panache ~ Tawny Eagle, Aquila rapax - Kruger and Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

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Booted Eagle, Aquila pennatus, ~ Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park ~ A guy we have seldom seen and never yet to get anything but record shots.

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The white shoulder patches are diagnostic

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A few scanned slides from 1981
all: Denali National Park, Alaska USA

adult Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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immature Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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fledgeling Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)
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Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
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A few scanned slides from 1981
all: Denali National Park, Alaska USA

adult Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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immature Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis)
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fledgeling Northern Hawk Owl (Surnia ulula)
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Gyrfalcon (Falco rusticolus)
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Spectacular, and even more so for the date. The adult Gos breast plumage is amazing, diurnal owls is a surprise and your falcon actually looks like a gryphon.
 
And one last bird that's special and hasn't turned up. African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster). Saw this guy with a crop full, drove a few miles and saw a Bateleur with a meal, drove a few more miles and saw a Martial come down for a kill. Some days just work.
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And one last bird that's special and hasn't turned up. African Hawk-Eagle (Aquila spilogaster). Saw this guy with a crop full, drove a few miles and saw a Bateleur with a meal, drove a few more miles and saw a Martial come down for a kill. Some days just work.
Making us feel low on this side of the bush, Peter!
Do you have an image of his smaller cousin? I have onle ever seen one once a long time ago in Kruger
 
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