35 replies to this topic

[sbienusa]

I am sorry, I know this is a horrible picture. Does anyone have an idea what this guy is? I live in Montana. At first I thought maybe a turkey vulture, but it has obvious white on its neck and turkey vultures are black. It was a pretty good sized bird and was travelling at a pretty good clip across the field. Very close, I would say, to the size of an Eagle but he was halfway across a large field so it is pretty hard to judge. I was hoping to get another picture but my memory card was full and by the time I cleared it this fella (I assume) was gone. It's been driving us crazy for a couple of days so any hints would be great! Thank You!

[creeker]

I think this may be a Common Raven carrying something in it's bill.

[hawkhenries]

Possibly immature Golden Eagle..

[betiam]

I'm wondering about the "obvious white on its neck" ... is that something you identified as it flew by, or is it the whiteish thing that may or may not be its head? Like Creeker, I saw it as a black bird carrying something, but you saw it, I didn't. The ravens we have here are huge. It could be that, or as hawkhenries said, it could be an immature golden eagle. Just so hard to tell from the pic. For comparison's sake, this is a shot of a raven I took recently: http://www.whatbird....e/291828-raven/

[hawkhenries]

Not having seen many ravens from this perspective, would their feet protrude (assuming that is what I see) as they are in the OP's picture?

[betiam]

Are you talking about the small lump beneath it, like the one in this other raven photo of mine? http://www.whatbird....e/291572-raven/

[hawkhenries]

Are you talking about the small lump beneath it, like the one in this other raven photo of mine? http://www.whatbird....e/291572-raven/

Yes that's what I was talking about. In the raven photo it seems less pronounced than that of an eagle. Could be the angle....

[betiam]

So hard to tell!

[hawkhenries]

Do you think the light color at the top of (what appears to be) the head is from the object being carried, a relflection of daylight or the head color? The beak if it is the beak I am seeing, looks huge like that of Stellars Sea Eagle. Of course the chances are slim it is that but.....

[betiam]

Definite range problem with a Steller's Sea Eagle. I keep looking at the pic, trying to determine whether I'm seeing something with a white head looking down (with a helluva large, uncurved beak), or as you said, just reflections. If it's a raven carrying something, it could be anything! I was wondering about what appears to be a white leading edge to the wings. Again, could just be reflection.

[Sparky the Cuttlefish]

Just wondering about the possibility of this being a Double-crested Cormorant carrying something. A few field marks seem off, but it looks like the light is hitting his right wing, and that wing is looking pretty black to me.

EDIT: Realized that it has a much shorter tenth primary, which cormorants don't have. I agree with Common Raven.

[sbienusa]

Hi All, it was a very large bird, no doubt, and I know ravens get quite large. But it seemed to have white on its neck? Watching it fly it didn't remind of a raven either but I am not sure how to describe it. I wish I could have gotten a better shot. Craig thought that it might be a turkey vulture, but I had never seen one with white.LOL, whatever it is it is not the most attractive thing! Thank you all for the responses!

[hawkhenries]

Hmmmm~mybe we're seeing the first photo document of the long thought to be extinct Ivory Bill Woodpecker (said running, ducking and hiding and kidding) ...

[Cicero31]

I really don't think that shape in the front is a beak. It would have to be a pelican to have a beak like that.

So if the shape is not the beak it is probably, as earlier posters have suggested, something being carried in the beak.

Would a ran have such long and articulated feathers at the ends of its wings? Aren't such feathers more common on a raptor?

[betiam]

I wondered the same, Cicero, but if you click on my raven links above, you'll see that they really are long and articulated.

[Liam]

I think this may be a Common Raven carrying something in it's bill.

That was my first thought.

[grammarcat]

It definately is carrying something. And that's all I have to say about that.

[Cicero31]

That was my first thought.

I see what you mean.

[Cicero31]

I wondered the same, Cicero, but if you click on my raven links above, you'll see that they really are long and articulated.

I see what you mean, Betiam.

[yep]

I'm IDing the object as a banana peel.