birding-aus

Goshawk vs Collared Sparrowhawk (middle toe length)

To: 'Robert Inglis' <>, 'Birding-Aus' <>
Subject: Goshawk vs Collared Sparrowhawk (middle toe length)
From: Peter Shute <>
Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2011 12:42:44 +1100
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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