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Barbara,
Nice
photo but methinks it is surely a Brown Goshawk. It certainly shows how
difficult they can be to pick. Apart from the big talons and big beak, I suggest
the plumage pattern is of the intermediate stage, that the Collared Sparrowhawk
doesn't have, (roughly striped upper breast and barred lower breast). Also
I suggest, just from the picture that the prey is a not likely to be a Galah, as
there are no obvious pink feathers. By the light and dark grey, I'd suggest it
is a Crested Pigeon. If you saw it close up or have other pictures, I might
be shown to be wrong .........
I
wonder what others think.
The
white spots are pale bases to the feathers, that are normally hidden by the
overlying parts of other feathers. Books tend not to show this because they like
to show birds in perfect full feathered condition with no moult and no feathers
missing.
Philip Veerman
24 Castley Circuit
Kambah ACT 2902
02 - 62314041
Late this morning, a neighbour and
the resident magpies alerted me to the presence of a raptor on the ground,
devouring what turned out to be a Galah. Juvenile Collared Sparrowhawks turn up
in my neck of the woods (Page) most years and have enjoyed, variously, House
Sparrows, Crested Pigeon, starling and now a Galah. What surprises me – and
perhaps the local raptor experts can enlighten me – all the young sparrowhawks
which have visited have a varying number of whitish spots on their backs, a
feature not mentioned in any field guide. Is it likely that this is an inherited
characteristic and that they are all related? Today’s juvenile is perhaps the
least spotty of any to date. A good start to the GBS year.
b
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