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Which hawk is this? (1 Viewer)

T

teh

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I guess this is a Goshawk, but I am not sure! Can you help me?

Thomas
 

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Thomas, I don't think I have seen your posts before, so let me extend you a very warm welcome from the Admin and Mods of BF!

I hope you've added your picture to our galleries -- they are very extensive and your photo will be a happy addition. And the first of many, I hope.

I've not seen a Goshawk yet -- but have a friend who is so fascinated by them he has a "GOSHAWK" vanity plate on his truck!

Michael, I assume that's a 'yes'?
 
Hi Michael,
I don't speak Danish(although I can guess that "ja" is "yes"!),but I feel that this bird has instant "Goshawk appeal" based on the photo:in particular,the rather full-looking vent,heavy structure,bulging secondaries and rather prominent head point towards Gos.
Harry H
 
This is most certainly an adult Goshawk, as far as male or female, it would depend on the vermiculated underparts, on males they are finer on females they are coarser, hope this helps. Raptor, RMERF ( Rocky Mountain Eagle Research Foundation )
 
My thought was probable male, but that's a hunch, not a definitive ident.

Michael

PS Raptor, welcome to the forums!

PPS Harry, translated, my earlier post means 'Yes, I think it is a Goshawk' (Duehøg, = 'dove hawk' in literal translation)
 
Well, Ive got to say that I'm not totally convinced that this is a Goshawk. The short neck and very pointed tail corners strongly suggest Sparrowhawk to me and the prominent looking white vent could be the result of lighting effects (the rest of the underparts are in shadow) or the bird might be displaying (Sparrowhawks also fluff up their undertail coverts in display).

The barring on the underwing looks distinctly heavy for an adult Goshawk, especially on the secondaries and I'm not sure that the difference in width between the hand and arm is great enough for Goshawk.

The strongest pro Goshawk feature I can see on this bird is the seemingly short tail but I'm uncertain about how the spread out undertail coverts might be contributing to this.

What was the date when it was photographed Thomas?

Spud
 
The wing shape is well within the range of Sparrowhawk, Goshawk typically has much more bulging secondaries than this bird.
 
Sorry to all, I am new to Bird Forums, when it was refered to being a possible Sparrow Hawk, I assumed American Kestral, here in Canada AK is also known as the Sparrow Hawk, now never having seen a Sparrow Hawk I would not know what to look for. I believe your Hobby is more like our American Kestral. so I hope you can forgive me. Raptor.
 
'Everyone says that Gentilis are easy to spot, well I have rung them ,flown both male and female nisus and gentilis when they are in the air they are hard to ID'.

Spar

I'd agree - personally I'd suggest a juvenile male gos.
 
Surely a juvenile Gos would show streaked underparts.

From the uniform loking appearance of this bird below it must be assumed to be finely barred.

If we knew the date it might be possible to say whether the bird is a juv or not.

Spud
 
Personally, I can't see any markings whatsoever on the underparts. Juvenile gosses look far darker on the underparts than adult birds - and, to me, this bird has a dark front. Also, the sun shining through the primaries indicates brown rather than grey, indicative of a juvenile IMO.

saluki

here's a pic of a juvenile gos in flight
 
Hello Saluki, I see you use Wheeler / Clark's North America Raptors, it is an excellent reference book, we recommend this book and Hawks in Flight by Dunne, Sibley and Sutton for potential observers at RMERF watch site, the Hawks in Flight is well written and easy to read, it allows one to identify raptors at great distances, Raptor.
 
There is simply no way that the bird can have the streaked underparts of a juvenile Goshawk.

The Wheeler photo's show very well the typical tail shape of Gos and are markedly different from those of the mystery bird.

Spud
 
The white tail tip means that the plumage is fresh but this is apparent from the wings anyway.

I believe that the date given means that the bird cannot be an adult Goshawk as moult of the wings should still be in progress in a bird of that age (and not completed until October). As the bird cannot be a juvenile Gos due to the absence of prominent underpart streaking then it must be a Sparrowhawk. Whether it is an adult or juvenile Sparrowhawk cannot be determined through reference to moult stage as some adult Sparrowhawks (females) may have completed moult by the very end of August.

Spud
 
I know its a few months since this was posted... but there isn't a lot of action tonight.

This looks like a Sparrowhawk to me... it just lacks all the hulk-features of Gos. Wing shape, lack of chest...tail shape... mind you I almost never see Goshawks, so perhaps I've forgotten what they look like

Saluki's pics on the other hand shout Gos!
 
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