Sparrowhawk sex/age please - UK (1 Viewer)

Not my pic, so I've not seen the bird close-up like I often do. My eyes aren't reliable enough to sex/age from just pictures on a Laptop screen, unless the bird is a standard adult male or a juvenile with coarse barring and pale fringes to feathers.

So I'm not sure about this one. The lighting is harsh and colours exaggerated, but there's no obvious signs of a juvenile (2cy), so to confirm what I think I can see:

Breast barring looks adult (no coarse barring/heart shapes)? No pale fringes to feathers? I can't see any blotchiness/untidiness on the head/crown? Obvious (though not too pronounced like a juvenile) supercilium?


Allowing for the time of year, I'm assuming this is an adult female... or is it?


Thanks

Not such a bad photo.....Definitely an adult female. The few pale edges on coverts are normal, and a far cry from the scaly appearance of a juvenile. The colour of upper side is perfect for adult female being slate with a brownish cast. Warmer yellow iris is also typical. Never mind the type of barring on underside, because that is highly variable.

Peter

Thanks for the confirmation