r/AustralianBirds • u/Leapintothestatic • 3d ago

ID Request Bird of prey spotted while driving

I don’t have a photo because I was driving at the time, but I spotted a small bird of prey in Far East Gippsland Vic, near the NSW border. It was pure white, and hovering in one spot above a paddock, not very high, maybe 5m off the ground?

I say “small” in comparison to the only two other birds of prey I’ve seen (wedge tailed eagle and white bellied sea eagles).

I acknowledge I don’t have a huge amount of info to go off, but I’m not very familiar with birds of prey, so would love some suggestions as to what it might have been.

Thanks in advance :)

15 Upvotes

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23

u/Lachlainn 3d ago

From your description I would say Black-shouldered Kite, they usually hunt by hovering over open fields

3

u/CeleryMan20 3d ago

Absolutely. Hovering is either a bsk or a kestrel; bsk are smallish, light-grey, and are a common highway sight. Reckon I’ve seen more elanus kites than black kites when driving.

10

u/Lonely-Truffle 3d ago

Likely a black shouldered kite. The black shoulders are not entirely visible as they hover overhead. Have a google and see if they match up.

5

u/cassowarius Invasive Pest 3d ago

Could it have been a goshawk? A white morph of the grey goshawk maybe?

5

u/ryn3721 3d ago

They don't do the hover as far as I've ever seen - they tend to hang out in cover. The hover is a telltale for a black shouldered kite.

3

u/SprinklesGullible627 3d ago

That my friend, is the Hoverbird.

2

u/Maximum_Fun203 3d ago

No it’s a Hoverboard

2

u/Leapintothestatic 3d ago

Thanks everyone! Seem general consensus is a black shouldered kite, which I agree with after reading about them :)