A start to raptor watching - raptor identification

 It is the time of the year again for migratory raptor hunting. So many question recently sent to me. I decided to assist those our there with some reference I have such as below from the well known Salim Ali reference. Below is a way to get to the family of the raptor you sighted. More will come on how to identified each and also how to separate different subspecies.

Order FALCONIFORMES

Family ACCIPITRIDAE, Hawk, Vulture, etc

 

Key to the Genera

A    Head and neck bare	1
B    Head and neck feathered	2
1  Bill slender	a
Bill stout	b
a.     Nostril elongated and horizontal	Neophron
b.     Nostril a narrow vertical slit	Gyps
Nostril round or oval	I
I.               No wattle on neck	Aegypius
Fleshy wattle on either side of neck	Sarcogyps
2. Bill lengthened and vulturine in shape; claw blunt ; a tuft of long bristles on the chin	Gypaetus
Bill short and aquiline in shape ; claw sharp and generally greatly curved ; no tuft on chin	c
c.     Tarsus completely feathered in front and behind	II
Tarsus naked or partially feathered	III
II.              Claws but little curved, inner longer then hind	Ictinaetus
Claws much curved, hind claw longer than inner	a1
a1. Primaries exceeding secondaries by less than length of tarsus	Spizaetus
Primaries exceeding secondaries by more than length of tarsus. Occipital crest lacking, rudimentary or develope	b1
b1. Inner toe (Without claw) longer than culmen with cere	Hieraaetus
Inner toes (without claw) about same length as or shorter than culmen (without cere)	Aquila
III.            Both side of upper mandible with two sharply pointel conical “teeth”	Aviceda
Upper mandible without “teeth”	a2
a2.  Lores feathered	Pernis
Lores unfeathered	b2
b2. Tarsus long, two or more times length of bill from tip to gape	c2
Tarsus short, less than two times length of bill from tip to gape	c3
c2.    Feathers across throat and up to each side of neck forming conspicuous fuff	Circus
Ruff not present	d
d.     Nuchal crest absent or pointed	Accipiter
Nuchal crest broad covering whole nape	Spilornis
c3. Front of tarsus covered with large overlapping hexagonal scales	Butastur
Front of tarsus covered with vermiculated or small hexagonal scales	d1
Front of tarsus scutellate	d2
d1. Size small (length c. 33cm = 13 in) second primary longest	Elanus
Size larger (length c. 56-68 cm = 22-27 in); third or fourth primary longest	e
e.     Claws grooved beneath	Cricaetus
Claw not grooved beneath	Pandion
d2. Tail forked	Milvus
Tail not forked	e1
e1. Tarsus scutellated behind	f
Tarsus with large reticulated or hexagonal scales behind	f1
f.      Primaries deeply notched	Buteo
Primary not deeply nothced	Icthyophaga
f1. Third primary longest	Haliaeetus
Fourth Primary longest	Haliastus

 

Source:

Salim Ali & S. Dillon Ripley, 1981,  Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan Vol 1 Divers to Hawks,Oxford University Press , London