Mystery Bird: Juvenile Martial Eagle, Polemaetus bellicosus

I believe that's an osprey. Based on its, um, osprey-ness.

Oh. Except it's from Africa. Sorry; no idea.

African Hawk-Eagle?
Hieraaetus spilogaster

Hehe... it may well be an Osprey, as they are a cosmopolitan species.

first thing i thought of was osprey as well... not sure if they are also seen in africa, though

I'm afraid I can't find my raptors of the world, so in near-total ignorance of African Raptors, here goes.

This bird still seems to be an Osprey -- the white undersides and dark around the eye are very good for them. Of course, other African species could certainly match this, but the 5 notched primaries fit Osprey, and the molt pattern seems to fit. You can see the difference in color and pattern between the outer 4 primaries and the inner 6, as well as a couple of freshly molted secondaries contrasting with old worn feathers. Ospreys typically molt from the inside primaries outwards, but have three different places in the secondaries where molt starts. The initial spot is the outermost secondary (#1), and this molt runs to secondary #4. If you look carefully, you can see a new secondary #4 just starting to come in on each wing -- it looks like a white spot at the base of the other secondaries.

The only iffy thing I can find is that, according to Wheeler, Osprey breed across Europe and Asia, and only winter in Africa. On the other hand, I seem to recall being told by a hawkcounter in Denver once that first year birds often stay on their wintering grounds their first summer. (I remember seeing an Osprey once at the Salton Sea on 4 July, which seems to support this idea). If so, then this is most likely a one year old bird.

Since nobody else has said it, I'll go for secretary bird because of the long legs.

I take it back. Totally not secretary bird. I'm clueless.

Since nobody has it right yet, a clue is in order. This bird was photographed zooming over our safari vehicle, and a second or two after the photo, it veered to the left and scattered a group of Helmeted Guineafowl. The hunt was unsuccessful, but exciting for us to see.

Dan Logen
Stanwood WA

Greater Sparrow Hawk Accipiter melanoleucus
immature plumage, buffy white underparts, brown back, black thigh patct not apparent

Greater Sparrow Hawk Accipiter melanoleucus
immature plumage, buffy white underparts, brown back, black thigh patct not apparent

I think I'll try again. Lanner falcon. They eat birds, hover, have light colored legs.

Another clue: This bird has feathers all the way down to the feet. No bare tarsi, as in osprey, accipitors, and falcons.

Well, the two clues completely shot down Osprey. The prey is all wrong, and the feathered tarsi are wrong. (That bothered me in the photo, but in all the Osprey photos I could find, the difference in color between the tarsi and the feathering of the thigh was nearly invisible). I don't think it's any sort of Accipiter. First, if it attacked a group of Guineafowl then it's the size of a Northern Goshawk (at least). Second, I can't imagine an African accipiter with feathered tarsi. Third, North American (and European, I think) accipiters have 6 notched primaries -- this bird only has 5.

The booted tarsi suggest some sort of Aquila Eagle, and the size would be appropriate for something chasing Guinea Fowl.
The rounded wings (p10 is clearly shorter than p9, and the other outer primaries are about the same length as p9) are wrong for any Falco.

African Hawk Eagle (Hieraaetus spilogaster) would be my second opinion with Dan's latest clue. black & white eagle with white feather bases. no apparent spotting as with the Ayres Eagle. Immature Hawk eagle is brown above, unspotted, roufous-buff below. It also has whitish tips to feathers

Perhaps a Long Crested Eagle (Lophaetus occipitalis). Feathered legs, flight feathers with white margins at ends of wings. Crest either not apparent in photo or immature specimen which would have much shorter crest