32. Some common Raptors

 NB. Remember to click on a photograph to enlarge the image.

The term 'Raptor' refers to birds of prey and therefore includes all eagles, hawks and falcons.  We are fortunate in Cyprus to have a wide selection of resident and migratory species, though some are very much more easily seen than others. The Kestrel is undoubtedly the most common raptor species and breeding pairs of them are resident at Secret Valley golf course.

The following selection shows some of the more easily seen species that I have been able to photograph over the past winter & spring period, with a note of where and when seen. A good pair of binoculars certainly makes identification much easier, and the photographs can usually confirm the species seen.

1. Common Buzzard

Adult Common Buzzard - keeping an imperious eye on me

The Common Buzzard is now one of the most commonly seen raptors in the UK, numbers having steadily increased over the past 40 years or so. They are also a well-known species throughout Europe and is a common winter visitor to Cyprus. 

There are both dark and light morphs, though the dark is the more commonly seen.

Adult Common Buzzard just landed on a lamppost at Secret valley

The birds are often seen perched on fence posts, walls or trees,  and they are generally not as shy as some other raptors.

Making a sudden departure

The photos shown here were taken at Akrotiri Marsh and at Secret Valley in February 2023, the birds helpfully posing on top of an agricultural structure and on a lampost. 

The juvenile bird below was pictured during April.

 

Juvenile Common Buzzard

2. Long-legged Buzzard

It is a big buzzard, slightly larger than the Common Buzzard, with a longer wingspan. The five 'fingers' on the wings can usually be easily seen

Long-legged Buzzard adult (pale morph)

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The Long-legged Buzzard is a common resident here and is often seen at Secret Valley (though sometimes mistaken for an eagle). The species has become quite common over the last few years, following the first Cyprus breeding record in the early 1990s.

Adult hunting low over a field at Akrotiri Park

The plumage can show considerable variation, from a creamy-white pale morph to a rufous-brown or blackish morph body and underwings.The black patch on the underwing is distinctive on the paler morphs.

Pale morph Juvenile showing wing and back plumage 

Head-on view of juvenile bird

3.  Pallid Harrier

This is a fairly common passage migrant in Spring (March to early May), less common in Autumn. It is most commonly seen over marshes, foothills and farmland. 

Male Pallid Harrier

The male bird is very pale grey with a whitish head and underparts. There is a distinctive "wedge" of black feathers at the wingtips. 

At first glance the male bird appears to be almost white, which can be misleading and ghostly! The female is a lot darker than the male

This  bird was seen hunting low over the gravel beds area adjacent to Akrotiri Marsh in March 2023.

4. Montagu's Harrier

Like the Pallid Harrier this is another fairly common passage migrant. This species is also commonly seen over marshes and lowland farmland, though I see it most often in the foothills of Anarita Park and over the agricultural fields at Mandria.  

Adult male Montagu's Harrier

Adult male hunting at Mandria

The male bird can be easily confused at first glance with the Pallid Harrier as both are very pale grey. However, the Montagu's Harrier has a larger area of black at the wing tips and, additionally, a distinctive narrow black line on the upper wing, extending out from the body to half the wing length. 

Adult male Montagu's, showing the distinctive black wing tips and black line

Note that a black line on the wings is also present on the underside

The female Montagu's Harrier is darker than the male, with red-brown streaks on the body and underside of the wings, while the top of the wings are greyish-brown - though also with the distinctive black line. 

The female Montagu's harrier showing the much darker plumage than the male

The juvenile bird is a more uniform plain rufous colour, easily distinguished from the adult colouring.

The juvenile Montegu's, showing the distinctive uniform rufous colouring

5.  Bonelli's Eagle

The Bonelli's Eagle is resident in Cyprus, though not very commonly seen (forest and upland areas are where you would be most likely to see one). 

Adult Bonelli's Eagle hunting

It is quite a large eagle with typical quite square rear wing shape while the leading edge shows the normal distinct "elbow". The wing tips are black, with six fingers usually easily seen (cf. the 5 fingers of the buzzards and 4 (usually visible) of the Harriers).

This view of the Bonelli's flight shows how flat the wing position is when the bird glides

The side view shows the streamlined body line and the large and powerful beak.

These photographs were taken in the foothills just above Anarita in December 2022 - the only time I have seen an eagle so close to home! 

Note the distinctive six fingers of the wing feathers

Note the full spread of the tail for maximum stability

The species is also seen occasionally in the upper reaches of Secret Valley, and rumour has it that there used to be a breeding pair at the top of the valley - though I have never seen them there - yet! 

A sudden climbing manoeuvre on a thermal

6. Red-footed Falcon

As a contrast to the eagles, the Falcons are much smaller raptors, generally fast fliers, and often taking insect prey in mid-air. I have presented photos and text of other falcons (Kestrel, Eleanora's and Peregrine) in previous Tweets, but not the Red-footed Falcon.

A pair of Red-footed Falcons, the all-dark male and mixed coloured plumage female

The Red-footed Falcon is comparable in size to the Kestrel but is a spring and autumn migratory species to Cyprus. I usually see them in April at Anarita park where they seem to spend a lot of time resting on power lines. 

They hunt mostly by hovering (like a Kestrel) but also search by flying close to the ground.

Male Red-footed Falcon hovering

The females are slightly larger than the males and generally seem very happy to pose for photographs! 

The male, which exhibits uniform dark charcoal plumage (though with red "trousers" and undertail), is more nervous of human approach, and flies away before you can get very close. 

The striking colouring of the adult female Red-footed Falcon

The female has slate-grey back and tail but the head and front are a rufous-buff colour, with white cheeks and neck. The underside of the wings are a rufous-buff adjacent to the body, but with grey and white barring of the outer areas. The underside of the tail is clearly barred.

The distinctive slate-grey colouring and red feet of the male bird

The juvenile has a much browner back and head and the front is buff coloured with dark brown streaks (much like the juvenile Peregrine Falcon).

An adult female and a juvenile Red-footed Falcon

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All photographs and text by Trevor Fordham,  Secret Valley Golf Club.

Please feel free to add any comments. 

(Copies of any photographs can be available on request).

10th May 2023