Geoffrey's photos are a match for Julie's bird.
All true but the Square-tailed Kite is a very
different species. It has a wing shape that also sets it apart. I wonder what
Bob means that Square-tailed Kite are becoming more common in the south of the
state. Yes some move towards the NSW mid and south coast for the summer to
breed. But common, I doubt it. I don't get out of Canberra all that much in recent
years but in all my life I have only seen one in SW Qld and a breeding
pair in east coast Victoria.
I think the Square-tailed Kite looks more like a harrier than it looks like a Black Kite. I am also
sure that the old Fork-tailed Kite
name of causes confusion. Not
so long ago one Australian visitor posted photos of a raptor seen among a flock
of Black Kites. Presumably because of the square tail he thought it was a
Square-tailed Kite but it was clearly a Little Eagle.
Philip
-----Original Message-----From: Geoffrey Dabb
[ Sent: Friday, 31 October 2014 9:16 AM To:
Subject: FW: [canberrabirds] Id
Help please
Face
mask can be distinctive although this is sometimes extinguished in strong
sunlight. Apparent dark and light can vary with age and light.
HANZAB: adult – ‘shading to paler grey on forehead, cheeks, chin and
throat; varying darker brown stripe from in front of eye to rear
ear-coverts’; juvenile – ‘head and neck dark brown, densely streaked cream
to buffish cream, making whole head appear pale, with dark eye-stripe more
prominent’.
The
name ‘Black Kite’ is of European origin, being used to distinguish the species
from the Red Kite, which is not found in Australia. Fr – Milan noir; Ger –
Schwarzmilan; Sp – Milano negro. An earlier Australian name was
‘Fork-tailed Kite’ which is unsuitable for the species across its whole range
because the Red Kite has the more deeply forked tail.
From: Philip
Veerman [
Sent: Thursday, 30 October 2014
11:02 PM
To:
Subject: RE:
[canberrabirds] Id Help please
No,
sorry Bob and Julie, it is absolutely a Black Kite. Here is the same photo
lightened up a bit.
It has
a forked (not square) tail, the dark face mask is distinctive of Black
Kite, as is the almost no barring on wings, generally dark all over with no
very different pale areas, no dark tip to tail, no pale face.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Rusk
[
Sent: Thursday, 30 October 2014 8:46
PM
To: Julie Clark; COG Chatline
Subject: Re:
[canberrabirds] Id Help please
Its
a Square-tailed Kite. these are becoming more common in the south of the
state, The big ID points are ,of course, the square tail,plus the pale head and
the "white mirrors" under the wings. Its seen usually flying low over the tops
of trees and sectioning one area at a time, The last snap shows all the
points to look for.
On
Thursday, 30 October 2014, 20:12, Julie Clark <>
wrote:
I have just spent a
couple of days in Deniliquin and spotted quite a few
raptors.
The attached photos are
all the same bird and my best Id is a Black Kite, but I have extremely limited
knowledge of raptors, so help with the id would be much appreciated. (photos not
good!)
I have lightened the
photos to better see the detail ... the bird was large and was dark in overall
colour, with the head appearing a little lighter.
--
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