Memorandum to:         The Director of Birds Australia

 

 

From:                           Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)

 

 

Date:                            13th February 2008

 

 

Voting Members:         Tony Palliser                 Glenn Holmes

Andrew Silcocks            Danny Rogers

                                    John Hatch                    Rohan Clarke

                                    Jamie Matthew              Mike Carter

 

cc:                                David Stewart

 

 

Submission No 508: Gurney’s Eagle Aquila gurneyi, Weipa, Cape York, QLD. 10th June 2006.   

 

This submission concerns the sighting of a raptor believed to be a Gurney’s Eagle Aquila gurneyi from Cape York Peninsula QLD.  The bird was in view ‘ventrally’ for about five minutes and featured a wing profile that appeared flat as opposed to the usual dihedral of the more familiar raptors.

 

The plumage was uniformly dark brown, almost black, with a faint indication of panelling at the base of the outer primaries which were held open. The wings were rounded in shape and noticeably broad. The tail appeared long and rounded. Careful consideration was given to the possibility of the more regular species such as Whistling Kite, Wedge-tailed Eagle and Little Eagle but each were easily eliminated. 

 

Two rounds voting resulted in 6 votes in favour and 2 against. Members took into account the skill and experience of the observer and agreed with the analysis, but those voting against acceptance felt that a record of such magnitude (a first for mainland Australia) would require more in the way of corroboration, ideally photographs. This sighting was almost certainly a Gurney’s Eagle as claimed but the evidence fell just short of enough detail to warrant acceptance.

 

To date all accepted records of Gurney’s Eagle have been from the Torres Strait, QLD.

 

 

Verdict:  Not Accepted

 

 

References & Bibliography:

 

·       Marchant, S. & Higgins, P.J., (1990), Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds. Vol 1. Ratites to Ducks, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.

·       Beehler, B.M., Pratt, T. K. & Zimmerman, D.A. (1986), Birds of New Guinea. Princeton University Press, New Jersey.

·       Coates, B.J. & Peckover, W.S. (2001), Birds of New Guinea & the Bismarck Archipelago; A Photographic Guide. Dove, Alderley, Queensland.

·       Garnett, S. (1987), ‘An Australian record of Gurney’s Eagle’, Australian Bird Watcher 12, 134-135

·       Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. (2001), Raptors of the world. Christopher Helm, London.

 

 

 

Tony Palliser

Chairman Birds Australia Rarities Committee (BARC)