[obol] FW: Is it an eagle or what?

[Steven Holt]

This may be beating a dead horse, but I absolutely concur with Noah 
Strycker's assessment that this is a poorly exposed image of a immature 
bald eagle for almost exactly the same reasons he states.  The stolid 
body and comparatively small head shape is dead on for a Bald, the bill 
shape color and where actually visible the body color is completely 
consistent as well.   One of the last plumages bald eagles go through 
prior to adulthood is very light bellied and the breast is pure washed 
out glare.  

An osprey would be thinner and far less robust in the lower body and 
tail.  A Ferrug would be larger in the relative head size.  A Golden 
would never show as much white where one can  actually assess plumage 
coloration.

The clincher for me is the huge top to bottom distance on the beak.  No 
other species common in North America even comes close.  The Steller's 
Sea Eagle exceeds it on this dimension but this one is not that big.

If it was a better exposure or not partially looking at the camera thus 
foreshortening it's bill it wouldn't have been nearly such a good quiz bird.

Best,

Steve

Steven 
Holt                                                                               
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