CollaredSparrowhawks anyone?

["Philip Veerman" <>]

My comments from the GBS Report are as follows: The species text often refers to the duration for which birds are observed at a single site over a year period (one record). Good examples include the comparison made between the Brown Goshawk and Collared Sparrowhawk (page 44) and (page 53):

Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus

This species is fairly secretive, though noisy when breeding and the male is hard to distinguish from the female Collared Sparrowhawk. Its habitat is woodland and therefore it moves readily through the suburbs from areas such as Canberra Nature Park and Murrumbidgee river corridor. GBS data show it is more widespread or identified by more observers (or both) than is the Collared Sparrowhawk but it is observed less often, meaning that there are fewer repeat counts of birds at a site. It is generally seen flying by at some height, not dependent on a specific area but just passing through. .................

 

Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus

This species is fairly secretive and the female is hard to distinguish from the male Brown Goshawk. For those reasons, its true status is likely to be more numerous than records reveal. It is mainly a predator of small birds and is more restricted in diet than the Brown Goshawk. In this way it may be better suited to suburban habitat. It is one of the few raptors that will perch and hunt within actual gardens rather than just be observed flying over the suburbs or perching nearby. The Collared Sparrowhawk is observed more often, with more repeat observations of one or more birds at a site on a year and so has a higher average abundance than the Brown Goshawk, though it has fewer records. It is more likely to stay within an area of suburbia. This suggests that the Collared Sparrowhawk is the more urban tolerant of the two. Seasonal variation is minimal but abundance appears to peak in summer to autumn....................

 

And I am sorry I retained the wrong h in cirrhocephalus.

 

And don't just believe what gets on this chatline is an even or random sample of what happens. I certainly don't report everything and for example last week I had either a BG or a CS flying near the house. But I will admit to that it was not a good enough view to ID and was just outside the GBS area anyway so doesn't matter that much.

 

Philip Veerman

24 Castley Circuit

Kambah  ACT  2902

 

02 - 62314041

-----Original Message-----
From: Bill & Jenny Handke [
Sent: Friday, 14 August 2009 2:36 PM
To: John Layton; Canberrabirds
Subject: Re: [canberrabirds] CollaredSparrowhawks anyone?

Hi John, come to the southside.  A Collared Sparrowhawk took a Crested Pigeon in our backyard patio in Kambah two weeks ago, and proceeded to pluck and devour it then and there.  Two Currawongs hung around a few feet away the whole time but the Sparrowhawk was not fazed by that at all.

Bill Handke