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Being
cautious, I would give it at least a 70% to 60% chance at being a Collared Sparrowhawk as distinct from a 30% to 40% chance at being a Brown
Goshawk. The main feature I would use is the fairly small beak relative
to the head, the eye ridge appears modest, although the toes look rather sturdy,
there is just enough to indicate the middle toe is long, relative to the other
toes, the tail tip is hard to see well but doesn't look forked like a normal
Collared Sparrowhawk but it looks like it could be in
moult.
I
would not have thought that magpies would like to share a tree with them.
I
wonder at Brown Goshawks which are much more commonly
reported at Jerrabomberra Wetlands on http://www.eremaea.com/. Not something I
would have thought of, and I wonder if that is a true reflection of the birds'
status. They are both pretty common in our area.
Your
size description doesn't help, as from that, it is clearly not a male Collared Sparrowhawk.
Philip
I recorded this bird I photographed today at a fair distance
in the vicinity of Jerrabomberra Wetlands as a collared sparrowhawk on the basis
that it was about the same size or a fraction smaller than the magpies perched
in the same tree. However I am aware that they can be confused with male Brown
Goshawks which are much more commonly reported at Jerrabomberra Wetlands on http://www.eremaea.com/
Can anyone offer an opinion on the basis of this slightly
grainy photo?
Thanks,
John
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John
Brown
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