What bird is this?

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jaide0100
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What bird is this?

Does anybody know what bird this is? It was found at lake apex in gatton, QLD and I cannot seem to identify it. (It may have green eyes)

Thanks

dwatsonbb
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Looks like a Little Black Cormorant, which have beautiful jade/green eyes. Fairly confident, but wait for confirmation from others.

Dale Huonville, Tasmania

Araminta
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As Dale says, Little Black Cormorants have gorgeous green eyes.

M-L

jaide0100
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thank you ! I have a couple others that I am unable to identify, if anyone could help me with these as well that would be great

timrp
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First is a Grey Teal

Second is a Little Pied Cormorant

Last one might be a non breeding Dusky Moorhen.

timrp
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It is a Dusky Moorhen. Either non breeding or juvenile.

jaide0100
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thanks timothy, very helpful yeah that last one was tricky, another couple i have no yet identified 2 types of geese and a duck

jaide0100
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the first two may be the same geese but different variety

timrp
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I think all of them are introduced species, I'm not sure of their names though.

zosterops
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The first two in the last lot are domestic Greylag Geese. 

The duck is a domestic Mallard. 

jaide0100
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thanks again for your help! I spotted a beautiful black kite this morning trying to swoop a wood duck

zosterops
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No worries! 

Can you please try get a photo of the bird of prey for identification if you see it again, Jaide? Black Kites are usually scavengers and would generally not attempt to take a live healthy bird, especially not one of that size. 

jaide0100
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yes i have a photo, it is really far so the identification was a long shot but tell me what you think, it looks like it is going for the duck but would it have possibly gone for a fish in the water? tell me what you think..

BabyBirdwatcher
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Whistling Kite

jaide0100
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how did you distinguish between the black kite and the whistling kite ?

jaide0100
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is it the tail?

timrp
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The underwing patterns on the Whistling Kite are lighter than a Black kites underwing patterns. That's one way to tell.

BabyBirdwatcher
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Also the black kites head is different. It has a yellow beak and is generally darker with a different tail.

saturnv78
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Hi Jaide,

Whistling kite is usually a medium scruffy brown colour underneath compared to Black kite which is a more uniform dark brown colour, the Whistling kite also has fairly prominent white panels on the underside of the wings at the base of the primary flight feathers which are visible in your pics. The most notable feature that you can use to distinguish the two though is that the Black kite usually has a distinctive forked tail while the Whistling kite does not. Hope this helps : )

lorne.johnson@d...
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With Australian raptors think about the following points...

(a) tail and ending of tail - long, short, curved, forked, square?

(b) ending of wings - fingered or closed?

(c) colour of rump (good re harriers)

(d) underwing patterns - are there 'panels' or 'stripes'?

(e) the way wings are held in flight - are wings in deep V, shallow V, straight?

(f) what sort of flight - soaring, gliding, circling, in a stoop, quick, slow etc. 

(g) is the bird close to the ground when hunting?

(h) compare the bird with a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike to get sizes - a Collared Sparrowhawk is the size of a BFCS. 

Hope this helps,

Lorne

lorne.johnson@d...
lorne.johnson@dow.catholic.edu.au's picture

With Australian raptors think about the following points...

(a) tail and ending of tail - long, short, curved, forked, square?

(b) ending of wings - fingered or closed?

(c) colour of rump (good re harriers)

(d) underwing patterns - are there 'panels' or 'stripes'?

(e) the way wings are held in flight - are wings in deep V, shallow V, straight?

(f) what sort of flight - soaring, gliding, circling, in a stoop, quick, slow etc. 

(g) is the bird close to the ground when hunting?

(h) compare the bird with a Black-faced Cuckoo-shrike to get sizes - a Collared Sparrowhawk is the size of a BFCS. 

Hope this helps,

Lorne

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