What Kind Of Bird?

Ant

Silver Member
Aug 6, 2006
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554
Cali
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Glold Bug 2 MineLab SE
As I was out metal detecting I saw this bird, a species that show up from time to time in the Hi Desert.... different desert then the High Desert. They are always similar in size and color but I thought they were some kind of eagle. We have Cooper's Hawks and Golden Eagles in the High Desert but the hawks aren't nearly as large or have the wing span that this bird does.
I have an idea what it is and made a code of my guess with the letters within this thread:
10-7-7-2-23-7
I'll expose the code to my guess after some guesses or if the thread dies.
 

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Goldiver

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Sep 15, 2006
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Fremont, Ohio
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Equinox 800, Fisher F-75 LTD2, CZ-70, CZ-21, 1280x, Vibraprobe 560, Minelab Pro-Find 35
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Looks like it may be a Condor. My second guess is a Pterodactyl, be careful out there.

Pterodactyl-Attack.jpg
 

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HAPPYCAMPER

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Aug 18, 2012
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Massachusetts
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MXT 300MM PISTOL PROBE FISKARS SPADE AND SHOVEL 12INCH,4X6 AND 8X6 SEF
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My oddball guess,California brown pelican.
 

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Ant

Ant

Silver Member
Aug 6, 2006
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Cali
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The bird is a raptor with a 4 foot wing span, when perched the bird is nearly 3 feet tall, the underside is white, this raptor is hunting 3 foot tall jackrabbits. I think it has an owl like face to channel sound inti its ears.
 

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Rich jaws

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Oct 27, 2014
65
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NY
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Whites V3I
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No idea but I bet it tastes like chicken! Free range chicken that is.
 

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GaRebel1861

Gold Member
Jun 16, 2011
5,753
6,750
South Carolina
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I have no clue what that bird might be. I bet if you could eat them, over half the people here would know what it is and how to field dress one!
 

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Back-of-the-boat

Gold Member
Apr 18, 2013
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California
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AT GOLD/Garrett /C.Scope cs4PI/Garrett(carrot) pro pointer/ 5x8 double d coil and sniper coil/Lesche digger/Lesche "T" handle shovel.
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It looks to be an Osprey but if you were down around Salton Sea it could be a migratory raptor not common to the area.IMO
 

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Ant

Ant

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Aug 6, 2006
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Charlie P. (NY)

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Feb 3, 2006
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17,106
South Central Upstate NY in the foothills of the h
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Minelab Musketeer Advantage Pro w/8" & 10" DD coils/Fisher F75se(Upgraded to LTD2) w/11" DD, 6.5" concentric & 9.5" NEL Sharpshooter DD coils/Sunray FX-1 Probe & F-Point/Black Widows/Rattler headphone
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
What was the wingspan? We have northern harriers but they're not near as large as eagles' or even ospreys. They're a little smaller than our medium sized red-tailed hawks. About the same size as a northern goshawk.

When you raise chickens you notice raptors.
 

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Thommy

Full Member
Mar 12, 2012
190
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Northern Florida
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Tesoro Vaquero, Garrett Pro-Pointer, Nautilus MF, Fisher 1266, Heathkit
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Relic Hunting
Looks like an Osprey. But in the desert? Body of water nearby?
 

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calisdad

Bronze Member
Sep 8, 2010
1,237
442
Groveland, CA
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It's far too large to be a harrier. It looks like an osprey to me. They fish. I'm guessing there is a body of water nearby. They also like to nest on power poles.
 

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Ant

Ant

Silver Member
Aug 6, 2006
3,389
554
Cali
Detector(s) used
Glold Bug 2 MineLab SE
On a perch the bird is 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall and has a 3 1/2 to 4 foot wing span. The beak is unlike the osprey and I know what an osprey looks like but I have been known to be wrong, lol. I will get better pictures as it tends to hang around and shadow you waiting for a jackrabbit or kit fox to move. I'm positive it is a hawk and a huge one.
Identify a Hawk-like seen in California by tail shape
 

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