Bird-Boys Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Seen at Lopez Lake, CA on 3/7/20. Golden Eagle? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I am hesitating to answer because I'm not sure.... torn between Common Raven and Golden Eagle. Don't think it is any sort of hawk. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Birding Boy Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Doesn't the head projection seem a bit too big for Golden eagle? Personaly I'd go with Common Raven due to that and head posture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird-Boys Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) Thanks! Edited March 20, 2020 by Bird-Boys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) Crow/raven, not sure what you have there. Edited March 20, 2020 by Kevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 It's a Turkey Vulture. Common Ravens don't have big broad wings like that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 hour ago, Melierax said: It's a Turkey Vulture. Common Ravens don't have big broad wings like that. Turkey Vultures don't have big heads and long bills like that. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 10 hours ago, AlexHenry said: Turkey Vultures don't have big heads and long bills like that. I'm not seeing a big head... the "bill" I believe IS the head. Ravens dont really have distinct flight feather groupings, where the bulging secondaries are prominent and then the long primaries. Ravens are more just even, making them look pointed. Tail length is weird too in relation to the wing length as well for raven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Here is a close up: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Looks like a corvid to me, esp. the tail and separation on the end primaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 42 minutes ago, Charlie Spencer said: Looks like a corvid to me, esp. the tail and separation on the end primaries. The separation is a good field mark for TUVU as well... The bulging secondaries are just not a thing on Common Ravens. Also, in that close up I posted, the beak/head is curved downward. Makes sense for Turkey Vulture, not for Common Raven. I admit it doesn't exactly look spot on for TUVU, but I can definitely say it's not a CORA. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Spencer Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) 44 minutes ago, Melierax said: The separation is a good field mark for TUVU as well... Yeah, they just look closer together than I normally see on TUVUs. Of course, that could be the angle. At this time of year, would we still see young TUVUs whose heads haven't turned red yet? Regardless, it wouldn't show up on my checklist for the day. Edited March 20, 2020 by Charlie Spencer 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 1 minute ago, Charlie Spencer said: Yeah, they just look closer together than I normally see on TUVUs. Of course, that could be the angle. At this time of year, would we still see young TUVUs whose heads haven't turned red yet? I'm not sure the color of the head is really visible here, it could be red... I don't know about your question though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefferson Shank Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Black Vulture or Turkey Vulture? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Just now, Jefferson Shank said: Black Vulture or Turkey Vulture? Turkey Vulture - tail is too long and wings aren't the right shape for Black Vulture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefferson Shank Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Turkey Vulture - tail is too long and wings aren't the right shape for Black Vulture. Thanks! Just checking... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 That is definitely not a vulture, head is way too big, wing position would be weird for Turkey Vulture. Wing shape is fine for CORA. Compare to this https://www.pinterest.com/pin/513128951265938407/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I fail to see the resemblance. Why is the "beak" curved down? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) @Bird-Boys Was the bird flapping It's wings, or soaring? And it may seem strange, but what was the time of day? Edited March 20, 2020 by Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bird-Boys Posted March 20, 2020 Author Share Posted March 20, 2020 It was flapping its wings, no soaring...and time of day was 2:16 PM. Thanks all! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 Flapping, not soaring = not Golden Eagle, not Turkey Vulture. So probably Common Raven 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 36 minutes ago, Melierax said: I fail to see the resemblance. Why is the "beak" curved down? The beak is not curved down, the beak is straight but the bird’s head is angled slightly down Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melierax Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 If Turkey Vultures are going somewhere, they flap. This bird is absolutely not a Common Raven. The head is most certainly CURVED, the tail is most certainly not the right shape or length for Common Raven. With the wrists projected like this, Common Ravens do not have large bulging secondaries and distinct, squarish primaries. They always have a very even and uniform trailing edge to the wings. Just to clarify my position, I have Common Ravens nesting out of my back window and I see them flying by every day. I can rarely look out the window without seeing one. In summer, likewise with Turkey Vultures. I really don't know how else to explain it, this is not a CORA. Photos I found for reference: Turkey Vultures: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216349121#_ga=2.76775633.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216157511#_ga=2.136922228.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/215745571#_ga=2.185936237.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/215335541#_ga=2.185936237.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 Common Ravens: Note the straight, not bulging secondaries: https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216454711#_ga=2.114503107.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216113161#_ga=2.141115894.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/216018981#_ga=2.141115894.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 https://macaulaylibrary.org/asset/215785161#_ga=2.141115894.510991436.1584647711-652609844.1575481608 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexHenry Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 I don’t think the issue here is anyone’s amount of experience with Turkey Vultures or Common Ravens. I think the issue is the distance of the photo. I guess I just disagree with you on this one. I can’t see Turkey Vulture there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Posted March 20, 2020 Share Posted March 20, 2020 (edited) The reason I asked about the time is because if it was early in the morning a Turkey Vulture might be flapping it's wings do to that there are not enough warm air currents. I see 10-200 Turkey Vultures almost every day, and I am almost 100 percent sure that is not a Turkey Vulture. @Tony Leukering Do you have any thoughts on this? Edited March 20, 2020 by Kevin 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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