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Sparrowhawk? (1 Viewer)

some more comments:
upper breast surely makes it a juvenile and not an adult
lesser coverts also form a rusty band on wings
I agree that this is not a shadow artefact on the head
there is some motion blurring and many jpeg artefacts, so digital artefact reinforcing the dark hooded appaerance must be considered
interestingly Dick Forsman's Flight Identification shows an example of a juvenile male showing rusty tinge on upper breast, combined with dark looking head and even rusty lesser coverts, so this may be an extreme example of this kind of bird enhanced by digital artefacts
 
some more comments:
upper breast surely makes it a juvenile and not an adult
lesser coverts also form a rusty band on wings
I agree that this is not a shadow artefact on the head
there is some motion blurring and many jpeg artefacts, so digital artefact reinforcing the dark hooded appaerance must be considered
interestingly Dick Forsman's Flight Identification shows an example of a juvenile male showing rusty tinge on upper breast, combined with dark looking head and even rusty lesser coverts, so this may be an extreme example of this kind of bird enhanced by digital artefacts

......just found this from my files, although not entirely looking like the OP's bird the shots are (almost sequential....same bird) it does show how light can play a part in confusing, the 4th image shows a male Gos also appearing to show a hooded appearance....
 

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......just found this from my files, although not entirely looking like the OP's bird the shots are (almost sequential....same bird) it does show how light can play a part in confusing, the 4th image shows a male Gos also appearing to show a hooded appearance....

yes Ken, nice examples of a combination of light and digital artefacts
 
Here's a shot I took in Montreal last year...

.....and this is relevant to the thread.

Hi Ken, I'm guessing you suggest this image shows an analogous lighting effect to the Sparrowhawk of the OP? On the contrary I think it tends to confirm that the Sparrowhawk's apparent colouration is not mainly a lighting effect! Your bird has a curved body posture and is surrounded by branches that will determine where direct sunlight falls on it whereas the OP image shows a hawk flying through a clear sky with nothing visible that could create such a 'dark-headed' shadow on the head. Or have I misunderstood your post? Fascinating bird anyway, and it would be good to see any other images.
Brian
 
Brian, the Montreal birds head pattern was the result of shadow and light, making it look perhaps natural? whether e.g the hooded appearance on the OP’s bird was the result of an out of view telegraph pole throwing a vertical shadow, I don’t know..although perhaps unlikely, might be possible..dunno?

Cheers
 
More images here which may help. Thanks for all comments. I think it's a sparrowhawk but still a very striking bird. Credit to John for these excellent photos.
 

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Yes excellent images!....and it clears up the controversy, interestingly with the change of light and angle, on what must be sequential images....quite a difference between the first and last image. :eek!:

Cheers
 
some more comments:
upper breast surely makes it a juvenile and not an adult
lesser coverts also form a rusty band on wings

I don't know what you mean by "rusty band" can't see that...

I agree that the breast pattern looks better for a first year bird. However, this is an unusual bird and this photo is good enough that one should recognise an important feature shown by first years. Also in DF's Flight ID Book all first year bird show it but for some reason he doesn't mention it in the photo captions: the broad dusky trailing edge to the wing is proximally limited by a narrow slightly darker band. Hope you know what I mean (see also attached photo of a 2cy from April 2017 - not my best I admitt). This is not shown by adults. That's why I think it should be an adult, no?
 

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I don't know what you mean by "rusty band" can't see that...

it is no longer visible on the new pictures anyway

I agree that the breast pattern looks better for a first year bird. However, this is an unusual bird and this photo is good enough that one should recognise an important feature shown by first years. Also in DF's Flight ID Book all first year bird show it but for some reason he doesn't mention it in the photo captions: the broad dusky trailing edge to the wing is proximally limited by a narrow slightly darker band. Hope you know what I mean (see also attached photo of a 2cy from April 2017 - not my best I admitt). This is not shown by adults. That's why I think it should be an adult, no?

I did not know that feature (any reference available? Thanks anyway) but indeed found it on the pictures, but is the quality of the OP bird's pictures enough to spot it?
 
I did not know that feature (any reference available? Thanks anyway) but indeed found it on the pictures, but is the quality of the OP bird's pictures enough to spot it?

The reference could be birds-in-flight.net :D but the ID captions were written by me anyway. I noticed this feature a while back, to be proven wrong of course ;P

I'd say the picture quality is good enough to see that but I may be wrong...
 
...the broad dusky trailing edge to the wing is proximally limited by a narrow slightly darker band. Hope you know what I mean (see also attached photo of a 2cy from April 2017 - not my best I admitt). This is not shown by adults.

Interesting observation! FWIW this feature seems to hold up in a very small sample of Sparrowhawks in north Italy (I have not got many adequate images!). In four birds that I'm sure are juveniles there is a dark mark on the inner (proximal) part of the medium-dark feather tip, and these add up to a thinner and somewhat discontinuous wing bar distal to the standard wing bars. On three adult birds there is just the mid-dark feather tip, but there can be an illusion of an incomplete wing bar produced where the dusky tips of adjacent feathers overlap. It will be interesting to see how things look in a reasonable sample!
Brian
 
Hi all
here is Dick Forsman’s comment on this Sparrowhawk:

I have never seen a sparrowhawk like this and I cannot explain why it looks as it does. Aberrant plumages like this occur from time to time, but what the explanation behind these is, I don't know.

all the best,
Dick
 
I can't see anyone agreeing, but I like to be different ;)

After downloading the images, and adjusting the brightness, I think it's just a dirty (or muddy) adult male Sparrowhawk.
 
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