Pls help indentify this beautiful Aust? bird (1 Viewer)

foto_wombat · May 10, 2004

Hi all,

Can someone identify this bird for me. I photographed it in open schlerophyl forest, about 80kms inland from the east coast in tropical north Queensland on the Atherton Tablelands, Australia.
It was being harrassed by two shrikes and didn't stay around long enough for me to get anymore images.

Thanks for your help
Peter

www.peter-brown-photographer.com
www.wilderness-images-gallery.com

foto_wombat · May 10, 2004

I think it may be a Pacific Bazza - can anyone confirm?

Peter

Rasmus Boegh · May 10, 2004

Nope, not Pacific Baza. Underpart barring to dense, and jizz way to long. It's an Accipiter. That narrows it down to A. novaehollandiae, A. fasciatus or A. cirrhocephalus. I'd look into the exact id later, haven't got the time now.

MikeMules · May 10, 2004

Grey Goshawk.

foto_wombat · May 10, 2004

ls help indentify this beautiful Aust? bird

Thanks for the info Mike and Rasmas I appreciate your time.
Now I can do some more investigation.

Kind regards
Peter

martinf · Oct 11, 2005

Grey Goshawk? Is it not a Collared

Tui · Oct 11, 2005

Grey Goshawks have no chestnut colouring on the underparts. This is either a Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus or a Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus.

martinf · Oct 11, 2005

Tui said:
Grey Goshawks have no chestnut colouring on the underparts. This is either a Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus or a Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus.

I agree and would plump for Collared Sparrowhawk methinks!

Marmot · Oct 11, 2005

We only have one picture of a Collared Sparrowhawk in the database.

http://www.birdforum.net/bird_view.php?bid=2346

And a few pictures of Brown Goshawks

http://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showgallery.php?mcats=all&what=allfields&si=brown+goshawkhttp://www.birdforum.net/pp_gallery/showphoto.php/photo/70/sort/1/cat/all/page/1
Not sure if these may help with the ID

MikeMules · Oct 12, 2005

Tui said:
Grey Goshawks have no chestnut colouring on the underparts. This is either a Brown Goshawk Accipiter fasciatus or a Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus.

First year/immature Grey Goshawks can have buff-brown washes to their underparts. I would still go for Grey Goshawk - the colour of the barring is neither brown nor rufous, and the thickness of the barring is consistent with an immature bird

martinf · Oct 12, 2005

MikeMules said:
First year/immature Grey Goshawks can have buff-brown washes to their underparts. I would still go for Grey Goshawk - the colour of the barring is neither brown nor rufous, and the thickness of the barring is consistent with an immature bird

On imm. Grey Goshawk does the barring extend that far down the body?

MikeMules · Oct 12, 2005

martinf said:
On imm. Grey Goshawk does the barring extend that far down the body?

The field guide I have in my office (Simpson and Day) shows barring extending to the flanks and vent

Edward woodwood · Oct 12, 2005

a difficult bird

omly seen one Grey but a few Collared and Brown but mostly not in Australia

bit strange this one... barring should be much more rufous for Brown/Collared?. Doesn't lack of spotting on upper breast denote an adult? It doesn't look like a Grey should but then i've only seen one and am going from my oz guide. The barring looks to frequent and thin and isn't iros colour totally wrong (Grey should be dark not yellow)... presume Collared but I'm stumped really...

Tim

MSA · Oct 12, 2005

IMHO it's a Brown Goshawk, maybe an imm bird. Collared Sprawk have a notch in tail, Brown Gos tail is rounded, as is the tail on this bird. Grey Gos has dark iris as Tim states, and they really are almost ghost-like grey!

Tannin · Oct 13, 2005

The yellow eye says Brown Goshawk for sure. (Or collared Sparrowhawk maybe.) But the grey barring seems more like a Grey Goshawk. I'm going to go out on a limb here and suggest a cross.

If I remember correctly, David Hollands mentions these two species cross breeding from time to time in his raptor book, and includes pictures of a mixed pair on the nest.

Tannin · Oct 13, 2005

Compare the eye with the attached Brown Goshawk. Also, compare with the immature Brown - the fine barring is clearly an adult feature.

martinf · Oct 13, 2005

well, just don't think it's a grey. At least not like the ones I've seen. Would have to say to say collared or brown. Thought collared but will have to check notes on tail as stated by MSA

MSA · Oct 13, 2005

Hi Tannin

I assume pic 2 shows a Juv bird rather than an imm, hence spotting rather than barring. I'll stick with my original suggestion - maybe tropical form?

Tannin · Oct 13, 2005

Quite right on the juv, MSA. (Or at least that's how I read it. My mistake.) That shot (the young one taking flight) was taken in western Victoria. But the adult bird in the other shot was taken in the tropics - only about 100k north-west of the Atherton Tablelands, as coincidence would have it. According to Morcombe, the tropical form is smaller and paler. Perhaps it's an unusually pale/grey bird, and we should remember that the against-the-light shot will tend to wash some colour out too.

So Brown Goshawk is certainly on the menu. But I'll also stick with my earlier thought about a Brown Grey cross. They are presumably rare, but people do see rare birds now and then. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that it is at least 50% of a Brown Goshawk!

(And isn't 50% a pass mark in most courses?)

Edward woodwood · Oct 13, 2005

interesting but i've not seen a Brown Gos that pale

...?

still puzzled...

Tim

Pls help indentify this beautiful Aust? bird (1 Viewer)

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