Hi
Also seen at Sydney Olympic Park, there were three of these raptors climbing up in the sky together. I only saw them while they ascended and they eventually went so high they were out of view.
Sorry about the pics, they probably not good enough for an id, but i am interested in any suggestions
Thanks
Hi Whistling Duck, the birds are either Brown Goshawks or Collared Sparrowhawks. They're a nasty pair to tell apart. Correct me if I'm wrong, but all the photos are of the same bird?
It looks like an immature bird, and my thought would be Brown Goshawk. The flaired tail is more of a Goshawk thing, and it has thicker, heavier body barring than I'd think a Sparrowhawk would. Plus, it's head looks chunky.
Thanks Lachlan for the id
There were 3 of them circling and ascending as a group, my pics would be of different birds most likely. Two of them seemed to come together playfully quite often, as in the second pic, so they might well be youngsters.
Whistling Duck, wait for someone more experienced than me to give an opinion. Sparrow and Goshawks are a pain, and especially after the most recond Gos/Sparrow thread, I am not convinced I got this one right!
Hi Lachlan, I'm impressed you could narrow it down to 2 species from those pics! I don't think I can expect a definite answer beyond that as the differences between those species are very subtle.
I appreciate your help.
WD
Don't be too hard on yourself, Whistling Duck. Your pictures are pretty good, better than pretty much anything I've ever managed to get of a Goshawk or Sparrowhawk. They won't come anywhere near me! Someone should be able to give you a definitive answer, there are some really good bird of prey experts around here. But I'm certainly not one of them though (sadly; I wish I were)!
Again, a 1st year Brown Goshawk like the other thread. It does seem unusual, though, that goshawks would be ascending so high... but none-the-less a Brown Goshawk.
Brandon (aka ihewman)
Thanks Brandon (and lachlan) for the ID.
These were seen on a hill at Sydney Olympic park where there are signs telling visitors what raptors can be seen. Within an hour I saw two black shouldered kites hunting, the kestral and these three brown goshawks!
Thanks again for taking time to id the birds for me.