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ACCIPITRIDAE - VULTURES, EAGLES, KITES, HAWKS, BUZZARDS, OSPREY, HARRIERS
African Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus)
Adult. No subspecies described (?). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen
Bateleur (Terathopicus ecaudatus)
Immature, no subspecies described. Udzungwa Mts, June 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen
African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro)
Age; immature (due to combination of dark bluish-grey and brown feathers on the upperparts, underparts also shows immature characters, though not on this photo). Sex; male (due to size, females are larger). Subspecies thought to be sparsimfasciatus. Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro)
Age; immature (due to combination of dark bluish-grey and brown feathers on the upperparts, underparts also shows immature characters, though not on this photo). Sex; male (due to size, females are larger). Subspecies thought to be sparsimfasciatus. Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
African Goshawk (Accipiter tachiro)
Age; immature (due to combination of dark bluish-grey and brown feathers on the upperparts, underparts also shows immature characters, though not on this photo). Sex; male (due to size, females are larger). Subspecies thought to be sparsimfasciatus. Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Long-crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis)
Sex; plumage wise they are alike (females on average larger [see e.g. Ferguson-Lees&Christie 2001]). Age; adult. Subspecies; none described. Udzungwa Mts, June 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen. Photo poor, however this is often as you see it.
Cassin's Hawk-Eagle cf. (Spizaetus africanus)
Sex; alike (to my knowledge). Age; adult (to my knowledge). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen. A species which is on debate at this very moment. Have seen what possible is this species a few times. Remember this is not a final answer to this photo. There will be upload other photos once I have more time and more skills in working with RAW pictures. If it is this species then it is far a way from the presently known range of the species (see this where I have been involved in mapping the breeding distribution of African birds: http://130.225.211.158/subsaharanafrica/subsaharan.htm). Poor picture; however might show up to be of important - once a 100 % ID have been made. The species is difficult to identify on a distance as it surprisingly resemble a Great (Black) Sparrowhawk (which is very big for a Sparrowhawk [Accipiter melanoleucus]).
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen. This photo shows parts of the species upperparts with the species diagnostic "window" on the primaries (it is this feathers which have creamy bases).
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Mountain Buzzard (Buteo oreophilus)
Sex; no knowledge. Age; possible adult (if the species follows the ageing process as in e.g. B.buteo, rufinus and lagopus, with e.g. as an adult having black/very dark trailing edge to all primaries and secondaries). Subspecies; none (if we treat the southern taxon as a full species). Udzungwa Mts, July 2007. Copyright@; Louis A. Hansen.
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Note the creamy underside, the dark brown "mask." Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Not the almost uniform brown upper in contrast to a creamy head. Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
Note the creamy white underside, fine banded tail pattern - close examination of photo also shows the brown "mask". Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunuculs)
Note; this is the nominate subspecies does it reach Tanzania? At least something to be aware of and look out for. Adult male perching in small treetop - seen from behind; note the uniform grey head; possible the males of the subspecies in Tanzania (rufescens) has darker head and darker rufous-chestnut back. Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Note; this is the nominate subspecies does it reach Tanzania? Adult male - seen while passing by on migration; note the uniform grey head; possible the males of the subspecies in Tanzania (rufescens) has darker head and darker rufous-chestnut back. In addition, the male rufescens should have faint barring on the tail. The nominate does not have barring. Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Note; this is the nominate subspecies does it reach Tanzania? Adult male hovering. Note; the uniform grey tail and lower back/rump; possible the males of the subspecies in Tanzania (rufescens) has darker rufous-chestnut back. In addition, the male rufescens should have faint barring on the tail. The nominate does not have barring. Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Common Kestrel (Falco tinnunculus)
Note; this is the nominate subspecies does it reach Tanzania? 1Cy hovering. The 1Cy have underparts heavier spotted almost forming stripes. Pointing flight and tail feathers. Very hard to separate these from females. Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus) Harriers are often tricky especially the ones with a female-like plumage, adding heat and shimmer in Africa – and not to mention a bird seen on a distance – it becomes very difficult. Here a 2Cy male. Second calendar because the outer primaries as well as all (?) secondaries are from the year before photo taken. Only males have this blue grey plumage. Photo 067 August 2009 (Denmark). Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
Harriers are often tricky especially the ones with a female-like plumage, adding heat and shimmer in Africa – and not to mention a bird seen on a distance – it becomes very difficult. Here a 2Cy male. Above: second calendar because the outer primaries as well as all (?) secondaries are from the year before photo taken. Below: breast and flanks with faint blue grey streakings. Later age stage will show two black lines on the underwing, and grey from roughly head to central belly. Only males have this blue grey plumage. Photo 07 August 2009 (Denmark). Copyright © Louis A. Hansen
Montagu's Harrier (Circus pygargus)
Saw this fellow on a distance and called it a pallid! How wrong one can be! In the field on a distance it appeared "big and fat" just a as a hen harrier can appear, wherefore I did not think of it as a possible Montagu’s - as they always seems slim bodied and elegant (kite elegant). This is a 1Cy Montagu's Harrier: the hand is bordered by a dark trailing line on the primaries (on a pallid there are no dark trailing line). The body is too darkish orange-red on a pallid is should be brighter orange (carrot coloured). The face pattern is about "maximum" in resembling a pallid – meaning that the lighter coloured collar is as light as it can be in this species – on a pallid it should be even lighter (crème). Photo 13th August 2009 (Denmark). Copyright © Louis A. Hansen.
No soda ash mining at Lake Natron
