Hi All,
continuing on with the Goshawk vs Sparrowhawk discussion, I think I have a male brown goshawk (would be race dimidus) in this shot:
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~chrisx2/images/BrownGoshawk_PreyL.jpg http://homepages.ihug.com.au/%7Echrisx2/images/BrownGoshawk_PreyL.jpg
Here’s another shot showing the head more in profile and cropped in a little:
http://homepages.ihug.com.au/~chrisx2/images/BrownGoshawk_Prey3.jpg http://homepages.ihug.com.au/%7Echrisx2/images/BrownGoshawk_Prey3.jpg
Photo was taken at Mornington Sanctuary in the Kimberley, the bird is a male and not long after this flew off and passed the prey to the female. This was during the Gouldian census, needless to say no finches were seen at this waterhole.
Reasons for thinking goshawk; there is a brow visible, the middle toe is visible and appears to me the same length as the outer toe also visible. A bird was spotted earlier in the same tree and a rounded tail was visible, can’t be sure it was the same bird, but seems unlikely a breeding pair would tolerate another raptor so close by. The nest appeared to be built into a mistletoe in a tree about 5-10m behind and higher than this tree. Appreciate any thoughts on my ID thinking.
regards,
Chris Ross
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Hi Greg,
I agree, definitely Sparrowhawk for the reasons you give. The apparent middle toe length could be slightly foreshortened by the photo angle; the legs are very slender; the hawk is small against the honeyeater prey. We can’t see the tail tip to judge relative lengths of central and outer rectrices (or the width of the rectrices); the feathers themselves would of course have rounded tips. If there was a prey transfer male to female, the accompanying vocalisations would have been diagnostic, as the male food-call (and female begging calls) of Brown Goshawk and Sparrowhawk are quite different.
I have often seen Goshawks and Sparrowhawks breeding in the same general area, and occasionally seen the two species interacting.
Cheers,
Steve
At 10:49 PM 8/12/11, Greg & Val Clancy wrote:
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Hi Chris,
I am confident that it is an adult Collared Sparrowhawk because:
The eyebrow ridge is not conspicuous, the legs are very thin and the central toe is very long.
Dr Greg. P. Clancy Ecologist and Wildlife Guide Coutts Crossing NSW