What Kind of Raptor is this ?

pathfinder

I photographed this bird feeding in Bosque in early January but have not been able to confidently identify it yet - I am hoping someone here can tell me if this is a northern harrier or if it is something else. I think it is a harrier due to the ring around its neck and the white ring around its hips - best seen in the second image.

These images were both shot with a Tamron 150-600 and a Canon 7DMKII





I also grabbed this frame of a kestrel while at Bosque with the same tools

kdog

Jim, don't the neck band and especially the white tail band nail it as a harrier? Beautiful kestrel.

pathfinder

I guess I was just hoping for someone who was certain, while I was almost, but not completely certain. I find identifying some hawks to be rather challenging, except the ones I see locally which are red tails and red shouldered hawks.

I have another strong crop of that kestrel - too much of a crop really , but I still kind of like it

kdog

That crop looks great. I see 600mm in the exif. Is that your 600 zoom? I forget, Sigma or Tamron maybe?

Stumblebum

Lovely birds!! So majestic! Wish I was smarter and I could help you with IDs....;o(

pathfinder

kdog wrote: »

That crop looks great. I see 600mm in the exif. Is that your 600 zoom? I forget, Sigma or Tamron maybe?

The kestrel was captured with the Tamron 150-600 zoom on a 7DMkII and this is less than a quarter of the frame I think. On an overcast dark grey day, but I don't get that close to a kestrel very often so.... Shadows brightened and warmed a bit in LR CC

hstrynrd

Definitely looks like a harrier to me. I think the white band on the tail is a clear indicator from what I've seen. I think also by looking at the brown banding around the eye that is a marker of a harrier.