Grey Gosshawk

[Julian Robinson <>]

Thanks Philip, as you can see (by the fact that I posted the question) I
was very uncertain.  Mine doesn't look like the book illustrations
for either the Brown or the Grey.  I've learnt that the underneath
of the Brown is actually more grey than brown, which is a Very Useful
Fact.  And as you say, the Grey is almost white underneath, in both
morphs.

Thanks also to the several people who replied very informatively
off-list, which prompts me to request again that people consider sending
more of their replies to the list itself -- there is SO much useful info
in these backchannel (off-list) replies, particularly useful for
non-vocal and lesser-expert members.  The culture of keeping most of
the interesting conversation off-list still mystifies me and is quite
opposite from other lists of which I am a member.

There is an issue I guess with people not being bombarded with the same
beginner questions but that will partially be addressed by the upcoming
FAQ and in fact most questions and answers include points of interest for
most people somewhere within.  Even if it just reminds old hands of
the level of knowledge and viewpoint of the more beginners.  There
is a good argument, for example, that the discussion of Grey vs Brown
Gosshawks may have been at least as useful to as many people as the
semantic discussions of eyass, and tercel etc.  Nothing against the
latter conversation at all, just surprises me that people are willing to
discuss this at some length but feel the need to suppress public
discussion of an arguably interesting Gosshawk ID problem (interesting to
a different audience perhaps, but still interesting).  

Julian

At 03:57 PM 25/09/06, you wrote:

Hi Julian,
Sorry to burst a bubble but just on this photo, unless there is something very odd about the shading, I would give this a 99.99% on being an adult Brown Goshawk, which is common here. Grey Goshawks are very pale, almost white below with almost see-through wings. This bird shows the red and brown of a Brown Goshawk. Tail shape excludes it from id of a sparrowhawk.
 
Philip