Re: [Birding-Aus] [canberrabirds] Why are the C. Sparrowhawk & B.Goshawk so similar?

[David Adams <>]

> I have often seen the white morph of Grey Goshawk accompanying flocks of

> Little Corellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. I wondered why until some

> years ago I saw a bird drop out of such a flock and snatch a pigeon from the

> powerlines.

I'd never heard of this idea until it came up earlier. It's a really appealing concept and I'm glad to hear that it's observable in the field. 

On Sat, Jan 12, 2013 at 1:00 PM, Denise Goodfellow <> wrote:

I have often seen the white morph of Grey Goshawk accompanying flocks of
Little Corellas and Sulphur-crested Cockatoos. I wondered why until some
years ago I saw a bird drop out of such a flock and snatch a pigeon from the
powerlines.


Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow
1/7 Songlark Street,
Bakewell, NT 0832
043 8650 835

PhD candidate, SCU
Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia
Nominated for the Condé Nast international ecotourism award, 2004 by the
renowned American website, Earthfoot.
Wildlife Adviser, BBC¹s ŒDeadly 60¹

Birds of Australia's Top End and Quiet Snake Dreaming available on
amazon.com
A second edition of Fauna of Australia¹s Top End used by the University of
NSW as a text for 12 years is now under preparation.

'It gave me huge insight into the lives' of Aboriginal Australians¹,
 Jonathon Franzen, American author, birder, conservationist (August, 2011)
on Quiet Snake Dreaming.

The best guide in Darwin is Denise Goodfellow.  Bo Beolens, the Fat Birder.

www.denisegoodfellow.com.au

On 12/1/13 8:31 AM, "Greg and Val Clancy" <> wrote:

> My understanding is that the white morph of the Grey Goshawk was able to
> survive in a forest situation where it stands out like the proverbial
> because it resembles white coloured cockatoos.  I don't know if there is any
> science behind that claim though.
>
>
> Greg
> Dr Greg. P. Clancy
> Ecologist and Birding-wildlife Guide
> PO Box 63 Coutts Crossing NSW 2460
> 0266493153 0429601960
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: David Adams
> Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 9:26 AM
> To: David Adams
> Cc: COG line ; Birding-Aus
> Subject: Re: [Birding-Aus] [canberrabirds] Why are the C. Sparrowhawk &
> B.Goshawk so similar?
>
>> An all white raptor in the forest?
>
> John Leonard wrote to mention the White Hawk, an unusual New World forest
> raptor:
>
> http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=124796
>
> Despite often being nearly all white, these birds seem to be doing pretty
> well for themselves over a huge area. The behavior section at the Cornell
> site is interesting. it sounds like these birds follow around parties
> of monkeys (arboreal foragers) and coati (ground foragers - relatives
> of Raccoons) pouncing on whatever prey is flushed. Perhaps their coloration
> is not selected for/against as they're opportunistic feeders? No
> idea...it's always easy to make up an evolutionary/ecological story...but
> that doesn't make it true.
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