AOI: Currawang - sparrowhawk?

["Philip Veerman" <>]

Well yes that certainly fits a Collared Sparrowhawk. It equally fits a Brown Goshawk. From what you describe as your viewing the only way to pick the difference between the two is the end of the tail or the size. Yes the rufous bands are visible when it flies for both species but maybe you didn't get the time to focus on this, especially if not seen from underside.

 

Philip

 

-----Original Message-----
From: jude hopwood [
Sent: Saturday, 10 November 2012 5:47 PM
To: COG
Subject: [canberrabirds] AOI: Currawang - sparrowhawk?

This morning, 7:30am, in a crabapple in my front yard that sparrows use for roosting since I removed the Pittosporum hedge, a sparrowhawk was chased by Willie-wagtails further away from the house to a large Mannifera.  All I got to see was the size, the shape of the wings and tail, and the deep, very dark, uniformly greenish-grey colour of the top side - wings, back and tail.   This accords with my books for a Collared Sparrowhawk.  At no stage did I see head or feet but there was lighter underneath colouring briefly visible as it flew into the euc.  Are the rufous bands visible when it flies? It was no more than 5 metres from where I was standing when it suddenly burst from the dense foliage, but I caught no sight of head or neck. Does the identification sound correct?  I've caught brief though distant views of a similarly shaped raptor last summer in the district, but certainly not at my front verandah.

 

Jude