Collared Sparrowhawk or Brown Goshawk at Kleinton?

Do you keep a monthly record for your favourite patch? If so, why not share the info real-time and literally put your patch on the map? Using the template under this heading you have the vehicle for displaying your monthly records for those places you bird regularly e.g. your backyard, neighbourhood, local park. Just how good is your patch? What can we learn from your monthly records?

Let's find out ...

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Brendon & Judi Gray
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:08 pm
Location: Kleinton, Queensland.
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Collared Sparrowhawk or Brown Goshawk at Kleinton?

Post by Brendon & Judi Gray »

Over the last few weeks both Brendon and I have had sightings of a magnificant large bird of prey not far from our place at Kleinton. Each time we have seen it, we haven't been quick enough with the camera, and have only had little cameras with us. The bird is either a Collared Sparrowhawk or a Brown Goshawk, I have no idea how to tell the difference without a good photograph. I missed an amazing photo opportunity two weeks ago when I spotted the hawk in a padock, coming up from the ground with a rabbit (yes a rabbit not a hare - there is a rabbit colonly living in the area we see the hawk regularly). It would have been a great photo shot, however when I got out of the car with the camera, it dropped the rabbit and flew off so quickly. We have had 4 sightings in this area in the last three to four weeks of a lone bird.

I saw a similar bird previously in the same location feeding on a rabbit that had been hit on the road. I took some photos back then, August 2011, however they are rather poor, but these are the best of the pictures we have managed so far. I am not convinced that these are the same bird, as the one we have seen lately is very large, this one looks rather small when I look at the photos now.??

.://jarowairourpatch.blogspot.com.au ... whawk.html
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Mick Atzeni
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Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Raptor ID

Post by Mick Atzeni »

Hi Judi

If you zoom in on the 3rd photo "August11 114 - Copy" you'll see the eye ridge which is characteristic of the Brown Goshawk but absent in the Collared Sparrowhawk - easy rule to remember is: goshawks glare (GG); sparrowhawks stare (SS).

Also remember that female raptors are larger than males so the bird you're currently seeing is possibly a female Brown Goshawk, whereas the photos could be of a male. Incidentally, a male Brown Goshawk is about the same size as a female Collared Sparrowhawk.

Brown Goshawks are known to prey on rabbits; sparrowhawks as far as I know don't.

If you manage photos of the latest bird, no matter how poor they are, post them for ID too.

Cheers
Mick
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