HK: this a Besra? and why? (1 Viewer)

I photographed this in Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong, at 9 am today. I am not familiar with these sorts of raptors. Could somebody say whether this is a Besra, and how one can tell? Many thanks!

earlytorise said:

I photographed this in Tai Po Kau, Hong Kong, at 9 am today. I am not familiar with these sorts of raptors. Could somebody say whether this is a Besra, and how one can tell? Many thanks!

Click to expand...

Looks like Accipter virgatus to me....eye colour, grey hood, vertical and horizontal barring to chest and breast, general colouration and thin legs.

Cheers

It looks better for a Crested Goshawk to me. These two species can be very similar in plumage and can be tricky to separate at times, especially when size and structure are hard to judge, as on these photos.

For me this bird seems bulky and powerful with a relatively small (but still strong-looking head). The breast pattern also seems better for Crested Gos, with blackish vertical streaks only on the centre of the breast and contrasting with rufous bars on the sides of the breast.

Plus, with the benefit of local knowledge, I know that Crested Gos is more likely at Tai Po Kau than Besra (although of course it's better not to identify it based purely on location).

Compare:
http://orientalbirdimages.org/search.php?Bird_Image_ID=66017&Bird_ID=850&Bird_Family_ID=&Location=
https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/ZD2-1837292

johnallcock said:

It looks better for a Crested Goshawk to me. These two species can be very similar in plumage and can be tricky to separate at times, especially when size and structure are hard to judge, as on these photos.

For me this bird seems bulky and powerful with a relatively small (but still strong-looking head). The breast pattern also seems better for Crested Gos, with blackish vertical streaks only on the centre of the breast and contrasting with rufous bars on the sides of the breast.

Plus, with the benefit of local knowledge, I know that Crested Gos is more likely at Tai Po Kau than Besra (although of course it's better not to identify it based purely on location).

Click to expand...

Agree with your last statement John! However I bow to local knowledge. :t: