Appearance:

Medium sized eagle with long wings and tail. Pale base of outermost primaries in all plumages (lacking in Booted Eagle). Adults easily identified by dark greater coverts forming mid wing band on underwing, in combination with pale body and pale lesser coverts (variable). Tail clear cut (but not as pointed corners as in Booted Eagle) with broad terminal band. Back with diagnostic white patch (variable). Immature told from dark and medium morph of Booted Eagle by pale base of outer primaries, narrowly and evenly barred tail (bands reaching outer edge). The species show less fingered wings than many congeners, and long tail combined with small head may recall Honey Buzzard. Characteristic gliding profile with projected carpal joints and straight trailing edge of wing. Slight S-shape to trailing edge of wing when soaring. Flight agile and falcon-like.

Sound:

Not very vocal, but may call at breeding ground. Commonest call a sharp, gull-like "kleeee", beginning with marked register-break followed by drawn-out note with fairly stable pitch, unlike most congeners.

Call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:Jorrit Vlot, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Paul Cools, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:ruwan aluvihare, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ronald Bontrop, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Diego Jerez Abad, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Breeding plumaged adults with streamers unmistakable (streamers comprising two thirds of total tail length). Adult plumage shows less variation than in other skuas. No hint of breast band, and transition between pale belly and darker vent very diffuse. No white patches at base of primaries of underwing in adults. Juveniles easily confused with juvenile Arctic Skua, but are more slender. Wings narrower and primaries and tail longer. Juvenile Arctic Skua shows white patches at base of primaries on both sides of wings, juvenile Long-tailed only on underwing, and on first few primaries of upper. Barred rump and tail coverts in juveniles. Flight elegant and buoyant.

Sound:

Calls sharp and less full-bodied than Arctic Skua, and not so mewing. Short, double-accented "kew-wev" or short "kerk" in agitation. Also a long drawn-out "keeeeaah", resembling both Arctic Skua and Common Gull.

Alarm/flight call:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Andrew Spencer,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license