Harry,
My ISP has crashed this morning and I have been trying to send this. I hope my message doesn’t come through many times (each slightly improved on the last).
Absolutely not a Square-tailed Kite (not even remotely close, on many features) and nearly as clearly, not a Black Kite. The observer was probably seeing lots of Black Kites there, so it certainly correct to state that this one is different to them (more by shape and behaviour than what just shows on a photo). The curious (and instructive for future thought) mistake was then in only considering one other very different species, in the mix of “possibilities”. Making a wrong assumption on maybe just the name, or simply not looking at a different page in a field guide book.
As unanimously agreed, it is a certainly a Little Eagle. Yes it has a square tail, which is one of the clearest features of a Little Eagle but the square tail is way too short for either Kite. All the other features available clearly and only fit the Little Eagle.
For what it is worth, in spite of the similarity of names (including that years ago the Black Kite was called Fork-tailed Kite, the Square-tailed Kite is very different in appearance and behaviour from a Black Kite.
Philip
