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Richard

Not the best of pictures, but positive id would be appreciated



Thanks

Mike

Hi MikeGoss - that looks like a Black-chested Snake-Eagle to me.

Not too clued up how dark Chanting Goshawks have to be to be Dark Chanting Goshawks, JvR. Looking forward to the experts comments.

i hate to disagree, but i'm leaning more towards it being a Martial Eagle. The white feathers along the legs is pushing me in this direction,as the black chested snake eagles' legs are more bare.

but as you say, lets see what the experts say

I would go for it, JVR.

MikeGross, yours is def a martial eagle.

I took this pic November 2004 in Nambia .
Sorry for the poor quality , as it is just a scan of an older photo...
My guess is, that it is an Osprey.Am I right?

@KDU: immature Martial Eagle, probably in its last moult before full adult plumage. Throat/chest is still showing white, in the adult bird it will be all brown with only the belly and legs white.

Few things to look at but these two were easiest to see on your pic.
1. Feathered legs with brown spots. Osprey has got bare white legs.
2. Small crest and what looks like a brown crown. Osprey's without crest and has a white crown.

Johann if I may ask, in the pics in my bird books the brown of the Martial also seems to reach far higher up on the neck than the Osprey, would this be correct or are the pics giving the wrong impression?

If you look at the Osprey you'll see that the brown extends all the way up the back of the neck and stops at the white crown. Throat is white.
The Martial neck, crown, throat and upper-chest is all brown. But this is not an adult bird and it is still moulting into adult plumage therefore the throat will still be white with the neck brown but the crown also brown.
If that helps?

And the spotted underparts (Martial) can be seen in the photo which the Osprey does not have.

Evening everyone

Saw this bird last week in knp. if memory serves, it was along the H10. In my opinion its an Osprey, but unfortunately not certain



thanks in advance

I would suggest this is not an Osprey in that it lacks the yellow eye as well as the "burglar's hood". Initial thought was Pale form of Wahlberg's but time of the year makes this unlikely (if this is a recent photo) and it lacks the yellow feet. I would suggest juvenile Martial - it has the pale feet as well as jizz looks like Martial to me. Unfortunately, the size of the image doesn't make it too easy see much detail.

Off the top of my head the Osprey has a dark face mask. After taking the shots into Photoshop there definitely is no mask as per the Osprey. The beak also looks 'too robust,' but that might just be my imagination.

That's much better, jonty1.

No one can see - it IS a juv martial eagle.