Thanks Philip and Richard. I'll keep an eye on those middle toes. Unfortunately I could see get a good view of the tail, but that would have helped. Or even better if the partner had been around!
Thanks, again,
John
From: Philip
Veerman [
Sent: Wednesday, 24 July 2013 10:59 PM
To: John Brown; 'COG_Mailing_List'
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Collared Sparrowhawk?
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.
-----Original Message-----
From: John Brown
Sent: Wednesday, 24 July 2013 10:26 PM
To: COG_Mailing_List
Subject: [canberrabirds] Collared Sparrowhawk?
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
---
John Brown
