Help Identifying Ginormous Bird

[sherrardk]

I have tried bird identification sites but I’m not having any luck. Earlier I saw a huge bird in flight( scarily huge), bigger than any bird of prey I’ve ever seen - dark brown in colour, markings under the wings, rounded wing tips - it was not a red kite. It came out of a wooded area and it didn’t seem to need much effort to fly - could it be a ginormous owl?

[GenuineclAss]

Tawny owls are pretty huge!

[GenuineclAss]

I, unfortunately get a Sparrowhawk in my garden. Wish I could deter it. Yes I know it's nature and the bird has to eat, but does it always have to be in my garden? I've seen some horrible sights because of it. And, no, I've never seen it take a Sparrow. It always goes for Collared Doves and Starlings - even a massive Pigeon once. All it leaves behind are feathers. No beak, no claws, no bones, just a huge pile of feathers, which is the only way to identify what the vile thing has eaten!

[ponkle]

Eagle owl?

[sherrardk]

RSPB says tawny owls are as big as a pigeon, this was at least 10 times larger than a pigeon.

[sherrardk]

Just goggle eagle owl, it was bigger than one of those.

[GenuineclAss]

Osprey?

[GenuineclAss]

I used to have a tawny owl visit my garden in Sheffield and I can assure you it was far bigger than a pigeon!

[ToraToraTora]

lon eared owl? they are pretty big:
http://birds-in-flight.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/BIF1969_MGR_01102014_leowl-otus-1_baltic-sea_offshore-1024x683.jpg

[ToraToraTora]

the largest bird of prey in UK is the white tailed eagle:
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/640xn/p02zffp6.jpg

[sherrardk]

It could be the lion rated owl - I’ve seen it before but not often.

[sherrardk]

^ eared

[ToraToraTora]

it's long eared, I missed the G off lon!

[margarettom]

Could be a buzzard. They usually fly quite high and are certainly big. Quite common round here (Leicestershire).

[ladybirder]

I was taught that when identifying a bird of prey you start with assuming it's a Buzzard unless or until you can prove otherwise.

[Zacs-Master]

Really?

[ladybirder]

Yes really, and that was in the Yorkshire Dales). I suppose possibly because they are very common. There are a lot bigger birds of course but depends on how familiar the OP is with big birds;-))

[sherrardk]

It was bigger than a buzzard (we have lots of those) and bigger than a red kite - it was very substantial.

[Mamyalynne]

Zacs, LB doesn't mean Marlene down the Dog and Duck - she's no better than she ought to be.;-)

[ladybirder]

LOL mamy.
Have a look here sherrard and see if it helps.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/entries/dcd6c3da-9952-40c2-884f-15cfdbabc9bd

[MargoTester]

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/how-identify/identify-birds-prey
Any of these?