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Goshawk/Sparrowhawk ID: Addendum

To: "Evan Beaver" <>, <>
Subject: Goshawk/Sparrowhawk ID: Addendum
From: "Greg & Val Clancy" <>
Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:51:46 +1100
Hi Evan,

I have examined the photos and am confident that the raptor is a Collared Sparrowhawk for the following reasons:

The brow ridge is not very prominent and the bird appears to be staring;
The legs appear too long and thin for a Brown Goshawk;
The plumage suggests a bird moulting from juvenile to adult without the immature plumage of the Brown Goshawk; If the prey is definitely an escaped Cockatiel the size of the raptor in comparison is likely to be too small to be a Brown Goshawk.

The best ID characters - the long central toe and the square tail are not visible in the photos.

Stephen Debus has also seen the photos and agrees with my ID.

Regards

Greg Clancy




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