Bird identification please

Hello all,

I spotted a group of about 6 birds of prey over the Thames at Cliveden, please

can you help identify them.

All I can say for certain is that they were not red kites. One of those was

flying around at the same time. The images are 100% crop using 20D +300/f4+1.4x

Thanks for your help.

Pete<div></div>

I'm no expert in birds - especially in that region - so I can't name this bird. But from my

limited experience the feather patterning is similar to many immature birds I've seen in

person and in photos. So perhaps this is an immature kite or buzzard? Just a thought.

Peter,

I live in the US but will take a stab at it anyway if that's OK. I don't think they are honey-buzzards for several reasons, including 1. the head and bill are too big 2. wings too broad 3. tail too broad and short 4. Probably ALL the world's free-flying honey buzzards are in the southern half of Africa right now - I am assuming this was a recent sighting? It's my understanding that this bird is rare in the UK, seen mostly as a migrant and very rare as a breeder.

So what is it? Looks to me like a common buzzard Buteo buteo. I'm basing this on the general buteo shape, broad wings with secondary bulge, substantial tail, good-sized head and bill. Also of course that this species is a fairly common year round resident in the UK.

Buteos - and many other raptors - are notoriously variable in plumage, and often better identified by shape and other characteristics.

It will be interesting to hear what others say. Escapes are always a possibility. I consulted Raptors of the World by Ferguson-Lees et al.

I would like to hear about the status of the western honey-buzzard in the UK perhaps I can find one on my next visit.

Cheers Peter, Roger.

<P>Living in Cornwall it's unusual for me to leave my house without seeing at least 1 buzzard, and I would say that these are indeed Buteo Buteo, the common buzzard, as Roger says.</P>

<P>It is surprising how much colour and pattern variation can be seen with buzzards, from dark chocolate brown almost everywhere, to very light cream on most of the body and under-wings.<br>Always nice to see a group of them soaring on thermals together.</P>

Greg, Roger and Matt, thanks for your help.

I had been looking at some of the local birding webs sites and read about an influx of honey buzzards, but yes, I think they should be way south by now.

I think buzzards may only recently have extended their range into east Berkshire, which is why I haven't seen them before.

Best wishes to all.

Pete

Common Buzzards are all through the Chilterns now, primarily as a side product of the successful Red Kite introduction programme near to Henley on Thames - the farmers that also rear game birds (pheasant and Red legged Partridge)locally no longer shoot raptors, plus rabbit populations have increased from the "Myxy" crash of 15 years ago. So over the last 20 years Buzzards have spread down the Thames Valley Corridor from the west country, they are now common place.

Honey Buzzards are a summer migratory bird, they are in Africa now, and in any event the nearest breeding population in the south region is in the New Forest. Occasionaly you get singleton spring passage birds. Similarly Rough legged buzzards are not resident in the UK but the occasional bird turns up in winter from Scandinavia - mainly in Norflok/Suffolk.

6 soaring together can only be pale common buzzard