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juv. Sparrowhawk (1 Viewer)

jeff

Well-known member
Is this a juv. sparrowhawk, caught yesterday having lunch on a neighbours law? luckily you can't see the starling that it is having for lunch.
The partner caught it on film, but she was a bit excited so not too good quality.
 

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Yep, juv Sparrowhawk.

It is doing well to catch a Starling when it won't have been fledged very long - not the easiest of birds to catch. Unless maybe it is still getting food from its parents.

Michael
 
Hmmm. Juv Sparrowhawk eh? With that extensive, dark mask, supercillium, blackish crown, blue-grey upperparts, no white spot on the nape, ......Definitely not a male Goshawk then?
 
yes Juv Sprawk.
This is typical of Sparrowhawk.

Ask Ivan. He has them visit his garden on a regular basis.
(Sprawks that is)
Colin J.
 
You lot always have me running for my Collins!!

CJ, I presume you're only winding Michael up! This looks exactly like a Sparrowhawk in my book - you can even see the eye is yellow.
 
Nice catch Jeff. We used to get them in the garden pretty regularly but I haven't seen one in several months.
 
On our return home from work today our neighbour said we had just missed a commotion and that a big bird had swooped down and picked up a mouse. Apparently all the birds at the feeders and in the trees had taken flight and their cat wondered what on earth was happening.

She explained it as a big browny coloured bird, definitely not a magpie, crow or rook. The only thing we can think of is a Sparrowhawk, as one has done this before a few months ago.
 
digi-birder said:
You lot always have me running for my Collins!!

CJ, I presume you're only winding Michael up! This looks exactly like a Sparrowhawk in my book - you can even see the eye is yellow.

In all honesty Dianne, I don't think I am winding Michael up. All the features I mentioned are all consistant with a small male Goshawk (inculding the yellow eyes!). A recently fledged juv. Sparrowhawk would presumably still show a small amount of downy feathers (esp. on the mantle/scaps), nor, I uspect, would it be proficient enough at hunting to catch a Starling.
Colin, I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "typical of Sparrowhawk" - a medium sized raptor, sat on a kill is typical of all our birds of prey and by no means conclusive.
 
OK, CJ, but I'm only going on my Collins illustrations.

It is the spitting image of the male Sparrowhawk in the book, even to the dark mask and supercilium. The male Goshawk has an orange eye and the juv Goshawk, although it has yellow eyes, has vertical breast streaks - not horizontal.

Under the description of Sparrowhawk it says, "does not shun urban areas and gardens, as Goshawk normally does."
 
A male Sparrowhawk would show a distinctly orange breast with much less barring on the underparts. He may also have a fairly obvious white spot on the nape. To me, the head pattern is screaming "adult male Goshawk".......but then, I've been wrong before!
I don't think the 'urban areas' thing is particularly relevant for a bird that may well be 'passing through'.
 
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The pale tips on the contrastingly dark greater coverts are diagnostic of a juvenile and only a juvenile Sparrowhawk shows barred rather than streaked underparts. Anyway the legs are far to skinny for a Goshawk.

Spud
 
The white spot on the nape would still apply - infact more so, as males don't always show it.
I'm not saying it IS a Goshawk (the odds favour sprawk), I'm just a little concerned by the jiz of the bird and that striking head pattern.
 
The legs aren't stout enough for a Gos. And the body just doesn't have the bulk.

And anyway, there is a white spot on its nape (a very variable feature, which can be anything from obvious to very inconspicuous). Ditto too by the way, for the orange breast of males - juvs don't show that at all, and many adult males, it is discrete at best. I think I've only seen about 3 Sprawks ever that were really bright orange the way most books show them. But that's irrelevant anyway, as the coarseness of the barring shows it is a juv.

Sorry CJ !!

Michael
 
Woohoo, this is great fun!
I'm still not convinced.
The orange stuff is irrelevant (Dianne has already said that she 'meant female').
Yes, the legs do look a bit thin, but juv. Sparrowhawk has no business showing such a contrasting head pattern or the blue/grey colour on the upperparts or the yellow cere, nor do I think the eyes are yellow on this bird. And I definitely disagree with the presence of the white nape spot. There are two pale patches on the side of the nape which are consistant with both species.
So, in conclusion, the only thing that points to Sparrowhawk are the (apparently) thin legs and the overall build (which can vary, especially if the bird is alert/excited)?
 
Hi Chris,
Definitely a juv.Sparrowhawk!I think that I can make out the rusty fringes to some of the mantle feathers in the second shot!
Structure/legs/head pattern etc not right for Gos.
Anyway,I had some very recent close experience with juv.Sparrowhawk,and I've just realised that I have yet to relate the tale to the forum:
On Monday last I was upstairs when I heard a loud thud on the kitchen window.I went down,half expecting to see a Sparrowhawk in the garden,but as I opened the door between the kitchen and the "hall"(there is a small hall between the kitchen and the bathroom,with the back door between both rooms)I was surprised to flush a Sparrowhawk from inside my house!(the back door had been open for ventilation)
The intended prey(a feral pigeon)remained in the house,a little dazed,but it hadn't allowed for the tenacity of Accipiter nisus!
The Sparrowhawk didn't actually flush all that far,merely flying up on to the bathroom roof to wait.When the pigeon DID fly out,it had no chance...
It then stayed in the garden for 2 1/2 hours or so,plucking and eating the pigeon.I took a few photos(the bird was not far from the house),and may scan a few if they come out well.Aged/sexed as a juvenile female.
Harry H
 
But it has to be a juvenile because of the wing covert pattern and therefore must be a Sparrowhawk because the underparts are barred rather than spotted/ streaked.

The head pattern is not unusual for a juv Sparrowhawk and a greyish sheen above is possible too.

Spud
 
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