# Bird identification



## WMU001 (Dec 5, 2009)

I was golfing in Milford today and saw a very large bird which I am having trouble trying to positively identify. This was a VERY large raptor, I am guessing it had a 5 or 6 foot wing span. It was flying pretty low and being chased by some crows so I got a pretty good look at it. Its color was predominantly brown with a little white mixed in. It was definitely NOT a vulture and NOT a red tailed hawk (much too large and wrong colors). Could it have been a juvenile bald eagle?


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Very possible. I've seen 'em in that area for a number of years now, not many, but they are there.


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## WMU001 (Dec 5, 2009)

Thanks for the response. That's what I figured it was. The only other species I could come up with was a Golden Eagle and that seemed highly unlikely. It was a cool sight to see



William H Bonney said:


> Very possible. I've seen 'em in that area for a number of years now, not many, but they are there.


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## Rainman68 (Apr 29, 2011)

I think Bonney guessed it..... I have one that hangs out by the cabin up north, very cool sight.


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## kingfisher2 (Mar 22, 2001)

Could be an Osprey.

Marc


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Mature ospreys in my experience have a significant amount of white. The osprey wings in soaring position are very distinctive, with a "break" in mid-wing. 

Eagles soar with wings dead flat, and turkey vultures soar with wings in a dihedral or v-shaped position. So if you can remember the wing shape and position it is a big help in raptor identification. 

Seems like you don't think it is a hawk. I identify hawks by size and shape of both wings and tails.

I would say it is possible that what you saw was a juvenile bald eagle.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

They're all over up here, and I think they have their juvenile plumage for several years before gaining adult feathering. Bald eagles are becoming common up here. 

Every osprey I've ever seen was gray/silver with a lot of white...but I wouldn't know a juvenile osprey if I fell over it.


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## WMU001 (Dec 5, 2009)

Yea its wings were flat, broad, and long. It was flying about 20 feet off the ground and being chased around by crows and I got a very good look at it. The tail was fanned out very wide. It was mostly brown but mottled with a small amount of lighter color. I have never seen a bald eagle this far south in the state and that caused some initial confusion. 



kroppe said:


> Mature ospreys in my experience have a significant amount of white. The osprey wings in soaring position are very distinctive, with a "break" in mid-wing.
> 
> Eagles soar with wings dead flat, and turkey vultures soar with wings in a dihedral or v-shaped position. So if you can remember the wing shape and position it is a big help in raptor identification.
> 
> ...


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Cool. In Monroe County I have seen mature bald eagles several times near mile marker 5 of US-23 on the east side of the highway. I think someone from this site told me there may be a nesting area in that vicinity, not sure. I'm not an expert but I think eagles use the Huron and Raisin drainages as flyways leading to Erie. 

The DNR used to have an eagle count/sighting webpage which showed how many bald eagle sightings were recorded, by county.


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## Linda G. (Mar 28, 2002)

I would venture a guess that you probably saw a juvenile bald eagle even if it was in southern Michigan. They've come back well enough that they are now fairly common sightings anywhere there's water-I've seen them in Ohio, and they're all over coastal Maryland in the winter time.


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## Tagz (Sep 22, 2005)

Yeah they are common in Southern Michigan. I know of a couple active Bald Eagle nests. One at Crosswinds Marsh in New Boston is usually pretty active.


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## MPT (Oct 7, 2004)

Check out this site;
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/id

scroll to bottom for immature.


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