Bird of Prey Identification Part 2/2

Falcons and Kestrel - in our local area (Wyndham, Victoria, Australia).

The Brown falcon     Falco berigora

The Brown falcon  (40 - 50 cm) is the most prolific falcon by far and is often visible when perched out on vantage points such as power poles, posts and dead trees. They have a distinctive "kek kek kek" call usually uttered in flight that can easily help to separate them from the previously mentioned Eagle, Kites and Harriers.
Falcons do not build their own nests and this species will commonly use old Raven nests to breed.
Their coloration is extremely variable from light to very dark. The following image shows the outline of a rather light form.

Black Falcon     Falco subniger

The Black Falcon may be encountered on rare occasions and it is possible to confuse this bird with a dark form of the previous species. It is almost black as the name suggests and old birds can become white around the throat. They are slightly larger (45 -55 cm), are much faster fliers and the shape of the wing (shown below) can be a great identification feature.

The Australian Hobby     Falco longipennis

The Australian Hobby is a little (30 - 35 cm) fast falcon that hunts mainly small passerines (perching birds - note half plucked honey-eater in talons!). Surprisingly it is happy to frequent suburbia but this is probably due to the available food source. It is often crepuscular, hunting around dusk and dawn and likes to keep to areas with large trees for cover. 

The Nankeen Kestrel      Falco cenchroides

The Nankeen Kestrel (30 -35 cm) is the only Kestrel species in Australia and is in effect a small falcon - just slower - and is often seen hovering whilst looking for it's mainly rodent diet. They have a much longer tail  than the Black-shouldered Kite which also hovers, and red brown coloration as well as pale yellow (or 'Nankeen' - a color so named because of a pale yellow cloth made at Nanjing in China from a yellow variety of cotton!) . Both photos show females. Males have a grey head and are smaller.

Black-shouldered Kite      Elanus notatus 

The Black-shouldered Kite smaller than the other two kites at (36 cm) - is the 'butterfly' among raptors. It is both dainty and colorful with it's red eyes and yellow feet contrasting with it's black and white coloration. Immature birds are brown with pale legs and eyes and can be confused with the previous species especially because they hover in much the same manner however they lack the falcon mask or hood. It is important to note that this Kite has a much shorter tail than the Kestrel and appears as a stockier bird.

Peregrine Falcon      Falco peregrinus

The Peregrine Falcon  (38 - 48 cm) - is a large falcon and the fastest of them all generally stooping at speeds of over 180 mph. (One is said to have been recorded at 242 mph or 389 km/h in 2005!). The name literally means 'wanderer' and they will sometimes migrate across the Bass Strait.

They are infrequently seen in the area and can be identified by their grey coloration, size and dark hood. Adults have horizontal barring across the chest and young have vertical streaks while some tend to have a light chest. The above rather poor illustration, was taken in North Queensland where this bird was attempting to hunt whistling ducks. Note the yellow around the eye.

Happy birding
Paul

Part 1 of 2

Bird of Prey Identification Part 1/2

Little Eagle, Kite and Harrier identification in our local area (Wyndham, Victoria, Australia).

I am really fortunate to have what most would say is a "dream job" as a keeper at Werribee Open Range Zoo. If you hear me refer to myself as "servalpaul" it is because I predominantly look after three beautiful Serval cats, (a large eared, long legged grassland cat from Africa) among other species.
The Zoo is situated to the West of Melbourne and boasts a large expanse of land bisected by the major Werribee river which enters Port Phillip bay several kilometers down stream. With it's diverse habitat, the area is home to numerous species of birds.

There are five species that seem to confuse people the most so in this section I will attempt to point out some easily identifiable differences.

Little Eagle     Hieraaetus morphnoides

There are a resident pair of Little eagles on the property so they can almost always be seen. They are the smallest eagle (45 - 55 cm)  but similar in size to the Kites and Harriers I will mention.
The interesting thing about this pair is that one is a light phase bird (pictured) and the other is a dark phase (chocolate colored) bird. Colors can be helpful in identification but in this case will probably make matters worse! It is therefore necessary for me to point out more shape and proportion. The Little Eagle is stocky and fairly "square" in appearance but it's tail is short in proportion to it's body and the end is straight. When perched one might observe that the feathers extend all the way down to the feet.

Whistling Kite         Milvus sphenurus

The Whistling Kite(53 cm)  is probably the most numerous and will sometimes be seen in groups. There is a pair currently building a nest over 20 m high in a gum above the Hippo off limit area.
Note the "M" or "W" angle of the wings in this bird as this is quite a common posture in flight. More importantly though, is the length of the tail in relation to the body, and convex (rounded) or "paddle "shape end is probably the most outstanding feature. Feathers do not grow down to the (grey colored) feet in this bird and its whistling call is distinctive.

Black Kite     Milvus migrans

The Black Kite (52 cm) is similar to the Whistling Kite in shape and size but the main difference is that it has a concave or "fork" shaped tail. Sometimes it is found in association with Whistling Kites. Its legs are yellow in color.

Spotted Harrier     Circus assimilis

The Spotted Harrier (53 - 60 cm) has relatively long wings and tail as well as bare yellow legs. The white spots are normally quite visible over the brick red coloration in conjunction with the prominent barring of the wings and tail.
They tend to exhibit a rather "floppy" flight or they hang like a pendulum in a "V" shaped posture when hunting, as pictured.

Swamp Harrier     Circus approximans 

Swamp Harriers (50 - 58 cm)are similar to Spotted harriers in flight patterns and dimensions however they are dark chocolate brown in appearance. The white rump is a very important distinguishing feature but is not always visible.

I hope that this information will be useful for you budding birders out there. I will take a look at  some Falcons, the Nankeen Kestrel, and the Black shouldered Kite in the next post.

Happy birding
Paul

Part 2 of 2

Little Eagle

Seeing that birds of prey are my first love I thought it appropriate by way of introduction to post this Little Eagle that I captured over the zoo last weekend.

Paul


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