Appearance:

Large, long-winged vulture with slender body and long, diamond-shaped tail. Very different flight-silhouette from any other large raptor in the region. Most similar to Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), but note very long tail (longer than wings are broad) and pointed wings. Size difference not always apparent. Adult birds unmistakable when plumage characters are visible. Yellowish head with black mask and "beard". Orangy underparts, contrasting with dark back, wings and tail. Immature birds are dark all over, with pale-tipped coverts. Note that young birds have shorter tail and less pointed wings than adults. Wings held flat when soaring, sometimes with tip pointing slightly downwards.

Sound:

Display call a thin whistling with several register breaks, reminiscent of Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus). A passerine-like trill is also sometimes heard, but generally not a vocal bird.

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

CC-photo:Paul Barnard Fotografie, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Fernand DEROUSSEN, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Male with brown back, pinkish white underparts and a bluish grey head with a black eye mask. Female more dull with barred underparts. Juvenile like female, but upperparts also barred . Tail brown with white edges in all plumages. Females and juveniles easily confused with other southern/eastern or vagrant shrikes like; Brown Shrike, Isabelline Shrike, Woodchat Shrike and Turkestan Shrike. Differs from those in white sides of tail, barred rump, mantle and scapulars, scaly underparts and dark or yellowish base of bill (not pink).

Sound:

Call a hard "check check" (like striking two rocks together), and a variable nasal "twee" Song surprisingly varied with many expert imitations of small passerines, interwoven with bell-like ringing and dry chirping sounds. May be confusing and hard to identify if bird not seen. Song not very loud, but phrases can be very long.

Alarm call, song:

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

Featherbase

CC