Well, I still think it is a Brown Goshawk because:
- Flat trailing edge of wing
- No significantly backswept primaries (when wing beats are considered
- Heavy eyebrow; doesn't have a dainty face (as far as a bird of prey can be considered dainty)-
- I think I can see a yellow cere, but can tell from the resolution of the photo
Tail doesn't look particularly notched to me, and I thought that long middle toe was only signidicant when perched. Although, I could quite easily be wrong about both these two...
Wow, my first impression was Gos because it seems to have a solid build, but then as noted i noticed the tail is almost (-but, to my eyes, not quite) square and it has a long middle toe. I wonder if they can hybridise...
I think I read at one point that Brown Goshawk and Grey Goshawk can hybridise, as they are fairly closely related (I think my Dad has a coffee table type bood with some photos of the resulting hybrid?). Dunno about BGH and CSH; it could just be convergent evolution. This Canberra Ornithologists Group comment is interesting:
The bird in the OP is looking more like a BG to me now...
It seems Collared Sparrowhawks are not as closely related to Browns as I thought,
Yeah there are heaps of Accipiter species (~50) and many are remarkably similar, I'm surprised we only have 3 in Aust plus the odd vagrant Chinese & Japanese Sparrowhawks, perhaps some of these Asian species will make their way down.
I would agree.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Me too.
Thanks all.
Rick, your bird is a Collared Sparrowhawk.
Square, slightly forked tail, long middle toe and small bill.
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Well, I still think it is a Brown Goshawk because:
- Flat trailing edge of wing
- No significantly backswept primaries (when wing beats are considered
- Heavy eyebrow; doesn't have a dainty face (as far as a bird of prey can be considered dainty)-
- I think I can see a yellow cere, but can tell from the resolution of the photo
Tail doesn't look particularly notched to me, and I thought that long middle toe was only signidicant when perched. Although, I could quite easily be wrong about both these two...
Wow, my first impression was Gos because it seems to have a solid build, but then as noted i noticed the tail is almost (-but, to my eyes, not quite) square and it has a long middle toe. I wonder if they can hybridise...
I think I read at one point that Brown Goshawk and Grey Goshawk can hybridise, as they are fairly closely related (I think my Dad has a coffee table type bood with some photos of the resulting hybrid?). Dunno about BGH and CSH; it could just be convergent evolution. This Canberra Ornithologists Group comment is interesting:
http://bioacoustics.cse.unsw.edu.au/archives/html/canberrabirds/2013-01/msg00204.html
You could try tracking down the papers of this pair of researchers who seem to have done some work in the area:
John Olsen:
http://globalraptors.org/grin/ResearcherResults.asp?lresID=491
Penny Olsen:
http://globalraptors.org/grin/ResearcherResults.asp?lresID=280
I still think BG.
Zoomed in 400% it looks to me in the first photo that there might be some tail feathers missing.
The legs look too thick for a CS.
From what i have been reading online, the Length of middle toe is not that much different between species?
The second shot shows the brow of the BG.
Shorty......Canon gear
Canberra
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rawshorty/
Some more photos that may help.
Rick, is the first bird pic the same as all the others?
Agree that the head and longish neck are rather gos like in all the others.
http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/Brown-goshawk-v-Collared-sparrowhawk
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Goshawks and Sparrowhawks do not naturally interbreed. Sparrowhawks are food for Goshawks.
Falconers do it via artifical insemination.
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
All the same bird Al.
Thanks for the information.
The bird in the OP is looking more like a BG to me now...
It seems Collared Sparrowhawks are not as closely related to Browns as I thought,
Yeah there are heaps of Accipiter species (~50) and many are remarkably similar, I'm surprised we only have 3 in Aust plus the odd vagrant Chinese & Japanese Sparrowhawks, perhaps some of these Asian species will make their way down.
Rick, you might like to look at :http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/forum/Brown-Goshawk-or-Collared-Sparrowhawk-0
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Still think Brown Goshawk, especially with the extra photos.