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Bird of Prey ID. West Midlands, UK. (1 Viewer)

Pam_m

Pam_m

Well-known member
I took these photo's at lunchtime today of what I thought to be a Common Buzzard which are regularly seen in my area. Having just uploaded the photo's I am not so sure it is a Common Buzzard. I am leaning towards a Goshawk?
Any help with ID will be very much appreciated.

The photo's are heavily cropped.
 

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Pam_m said:
I took these photo's at lunchtime today of what I thought to be a Common Buzzard which are regularly seen in my area. Having just uploaded the photo's I am not so sure it is a Common Buzzard. I am leaning towards a Goshawk?
Any help with ID will be very much appreciated.

The photo's are heavily cropped.
Click to expand...

id lean that way too looks like a goshawk certainly not buzzard
 
I imagine Sparrowhawks are a lot more common in your area, Pam, but if it was Buzzard size it was a Goshawk. To be honest it's not easy to tell from these pictures.
 
Thank you all very much for your replies. Sparrowhawks are common in my area as are Buzzards. I was in my garden at the time of taking the photo's hoping to get a decent shot of a Starling when I spotted what I believed to be a Buzzard and I hoped for a decent shot of it on such a sunny day as yesterday. Hence my leaning to Goshawk given the size of the bird when I uploaded the photo's and realised it wasn't a Buzzard.

Thanks again all for your help.:t:
 
AlanCh said:
It would be helpful if those who say 'Sparrowhawk' without any further comment could say why.
Click to expand...


Tail shape (not rounded enough), body bulk, especially hips and head (not beefy enough) and most conspicuously, hand width (more or less same as the arm as opposed to narrower).

Here is a Gos in a similar position to compare. I think Goshawk rivals Pomarine Skua for most often mis-claimed bird
 

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AlanCh said:
It would be helpful if those who say 'Sparrowhawk' without any further comment could say why.
Click to expand...
Fair point Alan. For me the wing shape isn't right for Goshawk, the secondaries are too heavily barred, the tail has sharp corners (not on all the photos but the tail looks to be in moult, or 'held' funny) and the head looks too small.
Cheers
James
 
Thanks Jane and James - I'd thought Sparrowhawk as well, based mainly on the wing and tail shape, but I like to hear what the experts think, and how they make their judgements.
 
Jane Turner said:
Tail shape (not rounded enough), body bulk, especially hips and head (not beefy enough) and most conspicuously, hand width (more or less same as the arm as opposed to narrower).

Here is a Gos in a similar position to compare. I think Goshawk rivals Pomarine Skua for most often mis-claimed bird
Click to expand...

Hi Jane,

You're dead right with your last statement ! And I agree this is a Sparrowhawk.

But your excellent comparison of images, illustrate something that has been bugging me recently - this "hip" feature.

To my eyes, in these two photos, the Sparrowhawk looks wider in the hip region than the Gos. I just don't think it's such a good feature - in the field or in pictures - especially in the Spring when Sparrowhawks can fluff up the feathers in that area.

Just a thought. You've probably got lots of pics to prove me wrong!

Steve
 
i agree that the 'hip' feature is not a good feature, and i also don't like the 'white undertail covert' feature, not only do Sparrowhawks fan their UTC's when displaying but they are also white.
James
 
Bonsaibirder said:
Hi Jane,

You're dead right with your last statement ! And I agree this is a Sparrowhawk.

But your excellent comparison of images, illustrate something that has been bugging me recently - this "hip" feature.

To my eyes, in these two photos, the Sparrowhawk looks wider in the hip region than the Gos. I just don't think it's such a good feature - in the field or in pictures - especially in the Spring when Sparrowhawks can fluff up the feathers in that area.

Just a thought. You've probably got lots of pics to prove me wrong!

Steve
Click to expand...

Hips are a subjective thing - or at least that is what I try and tell myself.

Here are a range of Goshawks going from the snake hipped to the well-endowed. I think the wing shape is by far the most useful feature. I see very very few Gossers - when I do I often think Honey Buzz for a micro second. Another bird I rarely see!
 

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Last edited:
have some small (but jizzy) photos of Gos on my blog from 3rd and 9th March (maart) 2010, also an up close and personal 2cy bird from Sweden in mid Feb.
Nice collages Jane, and congrats on getting 'snake-hipped' and 'well-endowed' in one post ;)
James
 
Interesting thread. Living in Stockholm I see Goshawks (marginally) more often than Sparrowhawks. They nest in the local woods and I've sometimes seen them in the little cemetery near our flat. I'm posting a picture my wife took across the road.
Female Goshawks are unmistakable in the field as they are huge birds compared to Sparrowhawks. Males are closer in size to a female Sparrowhawk but are bulkier, more compact. Jane's pictures are very useful.
 

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