ttakyan

May I know is that a Rough-legged Buzzard ?
Thanks

Mai Po, 7 Jan

tmichael

Just a Common Buzzard, as far as I can see.

Note the undertail pattern - R-l. B. has a paler tail with some sort of terminal bar, often in very striking contrast.

Birds wintering and passing through HK are presumed to be B.b. japonicus, but I'd be interested to know how they can be separated from  B.b. vulpinus of Central Asia/Western China. Does anyone know?

Mike Turnbull.

ttakyan

[quote:0eab6980b1="tmichael"]Just a Common Buzzard, as far as I can see.

Note the undertail pattern - R-l. B. has a paler tail with some sort of terminal bar, often in very striking contrast.

Birds wintering and passing through HK are presumed to be B.b. japonicus, but I'd be interested to know how they can be separated from  B.b. vulpinus of Central Asia/Western China. Does anyone know?

Mike Turnbull.[/quote]

Thanks Mike

kchaiyan

B. b. vulpinus has rufous uppertail with obvious dark subterminal band (adult) and no prominent dark carpal path as the patches are blended in dark  underwing coverts (than pale underwing coverts in japonicus, thus obvious carpal patches).

In Thailand, both ssp. (japonicus and vulpinus) occur, but it still remains unclear if an intergrade of vulpinus and japonicus (aka burmanicus at least, in Myanmar) also occur.