my pic is from Griffith, NSW in April '13
I had id'ed the bird as Brown Goshawk but it has been suggested that it might be Collared Sparrowhawk
your id and reasons would be appreciated
| Term and Conditions | Privacy Statement | Web Support by Gaia Resources Hosted by Serversaurus |  |
Definately need the experts for this one
Does have a bit of a starey look.
Tough! I agree that it does have a bit of a starey look but I think the light is possibly misleading.
Do you know if the tail is rounded (I'm unsure with the angle)?
I had a look at the pics and the stance is very similar in each, here is one looking at the other profile
I am not sure if the tail was rounded
Peter
The two can be rather confusing.
It looks like an adult, and I am leaning towards Collared Sparrowhawk. Long, thin, spindly legs and the apparent absence of a heavy eye brow so typical in a goshawk and it lacks the much more hunched appearance of a perching goshawk too. Also appears to have rather a long middle toe, much like a sparrowhawk. So my take is CS.
I'll link this thread to Steve Debus for comments. Steve is arguably the most experienced raptor specialist researcher in Australia.
sprawk was my initial impression also...
Got an answer from Steve Debus. That's exactly why I send anything doubtful to him.
QUOTE
Hi Akos,
It is a tough one, but the brown dorsal surface coupled with the horizontal (rather
coarse, brown not rufous) ventral barring mean that it's a second-year Brown
Goshawk, as Collared Sparrowhawks don't have that plumage stage (they go straight
from juvenile to adult). Some other clues are the apparently tapered and rounded
tail tip (I can see an outermost rectrix shorter than the centrals); undertail
coverts are strongly bared (faintly in adult Sparrowhawk); the middle toe is
(relatively) not overly long against the others, i.e. it would be a whole segment
longer than the others and wrap further around the branch in a Sparrowhawk; it
appears to have a larger bill and flatter head than Sparrowhawk; and despite its
startled expression it appears to have a brow-ridge. I'd attribute the rather fine
legs to it being a male Goshawk.
Cheers,
Steve
END QUOTE
you know it makes me think about how many sightings of either of the species that are recorded on databases like eremaea are (understandable) misidentifications...
thanks for the ID and it does indicate the degree of difficulty of spearating these 2 species
Peter
Great little thread here with really interesting info.
A photo of my 2nd year female Gos "édesem" in 1964.
She caught 94 rabbits in 37 days.
Always trapped my hawks and falcons in late summer and releasing them back into the wild before spring.
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Al
That's an interesting fact. Thanks for sharing.....