bird identification .. kinda

[astroNikon]

This was an awesome site that I just saw. Too bad I was in too much amazement to even pull out my cellphone camera.

My neighbor has a small pond in his backyard (see pic below) .. pretty neat actually with the proper aquatic plants, etc.
Anyways, walking to my back door with my son this GIGANTIC bird lifted off from back there - probably within 20 feet from me.
wingspan was probably greater than 6 foot. Dark colored body and wings.
longer neck ... but it was white from the shoulders to the head with a long beak.
I watched it fly away over the school and into the distance.

My son saw it more than I did
It had a long neck and a larger head and a long beak.
I only saw it from the backside and as it was flying away in the distance.

But looking at photos of birds on the net I cannot figure out what it was.

I live in SE Michigan just north of Detroit ... a good 20 miles from the Detroit River & small lakes. There are plenty of small lakes in the area though.

It was basically a mix of a large bird of prey and a swan's white long neck and head with a long beak.
Anyone have an idea of what it could have been ??

This is a quick pic over the fence of my neighbors small pond. They have kept some pretty large fish in it that I've seen in the past, And turtles. He has mentioned that his aquatic life disappears from time to time. He thought before that a turtle got out and wandered away. These even though his yard is fenced in and it's hard to wander around without kids seeing something in the school yard or in the street.



Makes one want to become a birder immediately to get photos of these gigantic and graceful birds
wow ... I need a Tamzooka or Bigma soon ...

 

[SnappingShark]

WOW - I hope you find out what it is - and keep an eye out - sometimes birds like that return to where they know they can find water / food! So keep the lens trained!

 

[robbins.photo]

From the size and color my first guess would be a turkey buzzard of some sort.

Those are some really big birdies... lol

 

[astroNikon]

From the size and color my first guess would be a turkey buzzard of some sort.

Those are some really big birdies... lol

That's what I first thought - turkey vultures. But I have pictures of a few clans in the area .. but they don't have long white necks and longer beaks.

 

[astroNikon]

WOW - I hope you find out what it is - and keep an eye out - sometimes birds like that return to where they know they can find water / food! So keep the lens trained!

I wish. I called in work sick today .. headed to the doctors
So I'm not normally home at this time.
Amazing ... one of my cameras was a few feet away in the house. well my cell phone was in my pocket .. but sometimes you're just too amazed to do anything.

 

[sm4him]

From the size and color my first guess would be a turkey buzzard of some sort.

Those are some really big birdies... lol

Not if it's white from the shoulders to the head. Also sounds like he's describing a much longer neck than a vulture would have.

My guess, and it's somewhat of a stab in the dark, based more on habitat and your general description--a Great Blue Heron. They would certainly be happy with a habitat like that, and depending on the angle and the lighting, one could possibly look very much as described.

I'd definitely keep an eye out and see if it returns. As Bright said, they'll often return to an area like that once they find it. And even if it's an unusual bird for that area, it may well frequent that spot for at least a few days before moving on.

 

[astroNikon]

There are great blue herons in the area. I've been meaning to go out to a few locations that have them with babies.

If my son didn't say it had a long neck & beak I would swear it was a bald eagle. But I don't know my birds at all.

 

[robbins.photo]

Makes sense, I missed the part where you said the head was white. So yup, not a turkey vulture then

 

[Dagwood56]

Could it have been a brown pelican?

 

[Civchic]

I'd say it was probably a Great Blue - they can look like they have white heads in the sunlight, and the pond would be the perfect place for him. Plus they're huge and in flight they have great giant bird of prey wings, and tuck their heads in.
Great Blue Heron in Flight ? Jonesblog

 

[JacaRanda]

Even though the GBH is not considered a bird of prey, they are very adept at predator like behavior. Stalking and lying in wait for rodents, fish, turtles, baby birds etc.



My wifey actually has a photo of one flying away with a vole. Not the best picture, but amazing to see it with a large rodent in it's beak.
I have her picture on my flickr because I show it often.

 

[sm4him]

Even though the GBH is not considered a bird of prey, they are very adept at predator like behavior. Stalking and laying in wait for rodents, fish, turtles, baby birds etc.



My wifey actually has a photo of one flying away with a vole. Not the best picture, but amazing to see it with a large rodent in it's beak.
I have her picture on my flickr because I show it often.

Not only are they adept at predator-like behavior, they CAN look very much like a bird of prey, when seen from a distance or for just a fleeting glance. We have an area here, at a local dam, where during the winter you can often find Great Blues, hawks and Eagles in abundance. I was out with a group of a dozen or so people last winter, and it was often difficult to tell sometimes whether it was an eagle or hawk or Great Blue when they were flying along on the opposite side of the river. Granted, once you CAN tell (because it sticks its neck out, or you see its feet, or it just gets closer to you), you wonder HOW you ever mistook it for an eagle, but at a distance and somewhat silhouetted, they can trick you.

 

[astroNikon]

That's a pretty kewl video

I'm fairly sure that it's a GBH now .. it just makes sense.

I'm still amazed at that wingspan. I've never been so close to a bird of that size before as it was taking off.
I'm going to guess my son and I spooked it away from us just talking at the back door, or it was done finding breakfast.

I wish I knew it was there ... I would have snuck over there and taken pictures.

Also, with the power lines here, there's only one way in and out for something that big - which was the route it took.
I haven't seen the neighbors, but when I see them I'm going to ask them if they are missing any pond creatures.