Attention Bird Spotters

[jjjnettie]

I saw this eagle flying over my house this morning.
We'd like to know what sort it is.
Thanks.

[[1ponders]]

I'll have a stab at either an 1st year Little Eagle or 1st year White-bellied Sea-Eagle.

[duncan]

I was thinking the Sea Eagle option as well. By the way Jeaneatte how is the GSTAR performing?
Cheers,
Duncan

[Dennis]

Don't know the model of eagle, but it's a terrific photo JJJ - well done!

Cheers

Dennis

[Dujon]

Pretty hard to tell 'Nettie with what could be over and under exposed parts of its plumage. The general shape and tail feather structure would make me lean to some sort of Osprey or Harrier.

I may well be wrong as I'm no expert, but I think that Paul's suggestion might be incorrect as the tail feathers don't seem to display the eagle's 'spread'.

[jjjnettie]

I only wish he was flying lower so I could get more detail.

[Dujon]

Do you have any image manipulating software, 'Nettie? I'm afraid I do not. I was just wondering if it's possible to (in some magic way) bring out more detail from the underside of the wee beastie.

[jjjnettie]

I put it through Paint Shop Pro, adjusted gamma and levels.
Any other manipulation seemed to take away from the image instead of improving it.

[Outbackmanyep]

Does this mean its a UFO? :P

Might have been coming back in from a night of making crop circles?? :lol:

Nice pic, jjjnettie! :thumbsup:

[astroron]

JJJ I think it is a 1st year whistling kite, they are commen all over Australia.
Fine shot. Ron

[Dujon]

Thanks for doing that, 'Nettie. The new image picks out a bit more of the colouring which is only just there in the original. I've changed my mind and now am guessing that it is a kite, as suggested by Ron, though I'm guessing it's an immature Brahminy Kite.

These birds breed from April on in northern Australia so I guess it's possible.

Other than that I cannot add anything and will thus give up and leave it to the true twitchers among us.

[jjjnettie]

Thanks everyone.

[Bobj]

Yup! Looks like a member of genus haliastur, or black kite, milvus migrans.

[middy]

I enhanced your image a little. That's not an eagle. That's a kite!! :rofl:

[Dujon]

A quiet Saturday in Brisbane then, Andrew?

That's not funny. :mad2::rofl::thumbsup:

[jjjnettie]

I like this one better, it doesn't have that tendency to go for your eyes when you bring it in.:rofl:

I bought it from a kite maker in Ubud, Bali.

[Shawn]

Images Plus...

[Dujon]

That, Shawn, is a great recovery. Images Plus - I'll check it out.

[Shawn]

Same image but over sharpened...

Surely somebody can name it now, and NO its not a kite....:)

[astroron]

From your last image sharpening the wing patterns still give me the impression that it is a Whistling Kite, but the white head gives me a bit of doubt.
It is possibly a Brahminy Kite in the transition phase to adulthood:thumbsup:

[Shawn]

Its Possible you are correct...;)

Brahminy Kite

[Dujon]

Thanks again, Shawn.

Ron, I suspect that the white head and neck is due to overexposure because of the angle and albedo and is not necessarily a true indication of the plumage colour.

I'm no expert, I'm only using reference books on which to judge its type. To be honest I think it's just as likely to be a Whistling Kite as it is to be a Brahminy, particularly as both species change so much in their juvenile, immature and adult appearance.

[astroron]

Thanks John, My bet is still the whistling kite because of the tail shape and the wing patterns.
I agree with on the overexposure of the head, that is why I leaned more towards the Whistling Kite. Cheers Ron