Friday 21 February 2014

Collared Sparrowhawk???

I'm no raptor expert and am wondering what this bird is.


3 comments:

  1. Initial impressions - I'd go for C Sparrowhawk by the eye (staring, not ridged) but B Goshawk by toe length (the middle toe of a sparrowhawk is supposed to be very long, but I've never actually seen one or even a photo of one, so not sure how long is long. I have seen photos of birds that experts decided were Goshawks that had toes this length). Tail (rounded etc that Philip mentioned) I wouldn't even try using because it might be in moult if that blob at the bottom of the tail is tail and not background.

    The head looks different from the Goshawks in my photos, but not sure how or why - smaller, slimmer. The body looks as bulky as I expect a Goshawk, and thicker set than I expect a Sparrowhawk, but that might not be an accurate premise.

    The size doesn't seem to be a clue since magpie-size could fit either.

    On balance I'd go for Brown Goshawk, assuming the low angle is hiding the eye-brow ridge, but then again, if that background near the middle of the tail is actually background and not tail, then I'd go for Sparrowhawk assuming the angle is foreshortening the middle toe length.

    So I'm no use at all.

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  2. :-) Gee thanks, that makes it simple!

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