I thought the important thing was the relative length of the middle and outer
toes. I think someone mentioned "length" in this thread without using the word
"relative", but I assumed that's what they meant. Is absolute length important?
Peter Shute
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
> On Behalf Of
> Robert Inglis
> Sent: Friday, 9 December 2011 11:47 AM
> To: Birding-Aus
> Subject: [Birding-Aus] Goshawk vs Collared Sparrowhawk
> (middle toe length)
>
> Question: Which has the longer middle toe - Brown Goshawk or
> Collared Sparrowhawk?
>
> Common folk law would seem to suggest "Collared Sparrowhawk"
> as has often been claimed on this forum.
>
> The text in the "Similar species" and "Recognition" sections
> for Brown Goshawk in HANZAB would seem to suggest "Collared
> Sparrowhawk".
>
> The text for both species in "The Birds of Prey of Australia"
> (Stephen Debus, 1998) would seem to suggest "Collared Sparrowhawk".
>
> but........
>
> The measurements in the respective species entries in HANZAB
> would seem to suggest "Brown Goshawk". That would seem
> reasonable considering that the Brown Goshawk is the bigger
> bird (male to male; female to female).
>
> However, there is one aspect to the toe measurements in
> HANZAB which I find interesting and could help to explain
> this anomaly.
> The toe measurements for Collared Sparrowhawk are stated to
> have been "taken without claw" whereas there is no such
> qualification noted in respect to the toe measurements for
> Brown Goshawk.
> Is it possible that different methods were used for measuring
> the middle toes of the two different species? Surely not?!
>
> Bob Inglis
> Sandstone Point
> Queensland
> Australia
>
> Sent from my no-name desktop PC.
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