A Luxor mystery

[Jacqueline Burrell]

The image was taken of the bird in a eucalyptus on the banks of the Nile in Luxor.

This may be far too easy for you experts but time will tell.:laugh:

[Colin Key]

I thought at first that the tail must belong to a pigeon/dove, but can't think of any with that uniform grey plumage.

Common Cuckoo?

Colin

[Morg]

Looks more like a black-winged kite to me - though I don't think I've ever seen one from that angle!...

Geoff

[RoyHargreaves]

I agree with Geoff - it is a Black-winged Kite in my opinion. If you look at the extreme left side of the photo you can see what looks like black "shoulder", also the tail has white sides and the lack of contrast of the flight feathers with the tertials and body is also compatible.

[Colin Key]

Yeah,

I could go with BWK (especially looking at that fuzzy belly plumage), but shouldn't the tail appear 'notched' at rest? - and the back of the head looks dark.

Colin :err:

[RoyHargreaves]

Hi Colin,

The tail won't always looked notched at rest because the two central tail feathers on a bird often overlap - particularly when perched and so the notch that is apparent in flight, when the tail is spread wider for manoeuvring, disappears. As for the apparent black head this may not be the head at all. Unlike the black "shoulder" that is visible and definitely the feathers from that overlap with other wing-coverts, this is harder to place in context. It could easily be large mantle feathers raised up and forming an area of shadow - much like the patch between the tertials and underneath one of the raised scapulars, which looks black. See http://www.birdingintaiwan.org/gallery/pen%20shing/new%20gallery/Black-shouldered%20Kite1.jpg for an example of what I mean. The mantle feathers could easily raise up if the bird was looking down at something. I realise this is speculative but I am struggling to come up with another species that fits this bird as all the species I can think of do not match on the plumage tracts I can see clearly.

[Jacqueline Burrell]

I was right, it was far to easy! It is a Black-winged Kite. You guys are amazing.

[Colin Key]

A very good "call" by Geoff and Roy, me-thinks.

Coincidentally, I was watching two Black-winged Kites this morning bringing in nest material to a pine tree. I had quite good views of them perched on adjacent telephone wires, including a "rear view", and I was struck by how much paler the bird was than the one in Jacqueline's photo.

Colin :smile:

[Jacqueline Burrell]

A very good "call" by Geoff and Roy, me-thinks.

Coincidentally, I was watching two Black-winged Kites this morning bringing in nest material to a pine tree. I had quite good views of them perched on adjacent telephone wires, including a "rear view", and I was struck by how much paler the bird was than the one in Jacqueline's photo.

Colin :smile:

That may have a lot to do with the light. My photo was taken about 20 minutes after sunrise.