[alfa75ts]

Hot off the presses, a brand new baby Grey Butcherbird.

It's visited with Mum a few times but this was my first chance for a photo:

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[tduell]

Beautiful image of a handsome raptor.

Thank you.

Cheers,
Terry

---------- Post added 12-28-18 at 06:44 PM ----------

Always a problem isn't it? I'd go with a Brown Goshawk (tail not square enough, legs a little heavy perhaps for a Sparrowhawk).

Nice shot anyway!

Thanks Craig.
I favoured the Sparrowhawk on the basis of the wing shape and the very long middle toe, but you may be right.
The best way to decide is to have them perch next to one another :-)

Cheers,
Terry

[alfa75ts]

but you may be right.

And I may be wrong.

The best way to decide is to have them perch next to one another :-)

And we would probably finish up with a slightly undersize Goshawk and a slightly oversize Sparrowhawk

Either way, I wouldn't bet my next meal on it.

[Des]

Blue-and-White flycatcher

Cotton Pygmy-goose, another surprise winter visitor from the far east

More fine shots Luis.

I favoured the Sparrowhawk on the basis of the wing shape and the very long middle toe, but you may be right.

And I may be wrong.

I'm comforted to hear that even you two, who see a lot more raptors than I do, don't find it easy to split them, even with such a nice clean image. Last one I saw I could only work out by feet size.

[WPRESTO]

Those raptors should have insignia on the underside of their wings, just like military aircraft.

[Canada_Rockies]

Those raptors should have insignia on the underside of their wings, just like military aircraft.

Agreed.

[alfa75ts]

Those raptors should have insignia on the underside of their wings, just like military aircraft.

I thought we agreed on barcodes.

For those that wish to play at home, this is what we're dealing with (forgive any colour problems, new monitor not yet calibrated):

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[tduell]

Perhaps I should have just said "...flying raptor"

Cheers,
Terry

[Des]

That looks like the page from the Australian Bird Guide. It says that Brown Goshawk "has rounded tail-tip, distinct brow-ridges causing frowning expression; sturdier feet with less elongate middle toe". Morcombe says much the same but adds that the Collared Sparrowhawk has smaller thinner legs, tail square cut or slightly notched when folded, tail waggled on landing, proportionately longer wings. The Goshawk is bigger: 40-50cm with 75-95cm wingspan, compared to 30-40cm with 55-80cm wingspan. None of that helps much with an underview of a BIF.

I think I'm going with Sparrowhawk as Terry suggests, because of the long middle toe and greyish throat (as shown in Morcombe's drawing).

[WPRESTO]

There is a similar identification problem here with Copper's hawk and sharp-shinned hawk = one has a more rounded tail, the other more squared, best seen when the bird is perching and when there's one of each species side-by-side.

[tduell]

One from earlier in the year...Brown Falcon.
K-3 II, DFA 150-450 handheld. See exif for shot details.

Cheers,
Terry

[siva.ss.kumar]

I thought we agreed on barcodes.

For those that wish to play at home, this is what we're dealing with (forgive any colour problems, new monitor not yet calibrated):

I always imagined there will be a smart binoculars that will overlay the bird identification when viewed

[Canada_Rockies]

I always imagined there will be a smart binoculars that will overlay the bird identification when viewed

We all wish that would happen!

[normhead]

I always imagined there will be a smart binoculars that will overlay the bird identification when viewed

Sign me up for the beta tests.

[jacamar]

We don't seem to be too far off with the Merlin bird i.d., but wouldn't that spoil a lot of the fun?