Raptor ID ,near York ,UK. (1 Viewer)

[DOC REED]

Found this bird soaring near Redhouse/Moormonkton area close to York yesterday.Size approaching Buzzard, which made me question whether was Sparrowhawk.It probably is but just wanted confirmation,Have 2 or 3 more images if needed.I have lightened the pics as was very backlit.

 

[DOC REED]

edit

ignore pic 4 ,different bird

 

[StuartReeves]

The square tail and the barring on the primaries and secondaries make this a sparrowhawk.

 

[Birding Bob]

Sparr

 

[Dave Hall]

Hi Doc Looks like a Sparrowhawk

 

[derekg]

Sparrowhawk

 

[DOC REED]

Cheers all....as I thought but it seemed on the large size.One lives in hope......

Paul

 

[vanellus]

Females can be quite a lot bigger than males - we have a local dainty male and monster female. The clear view of the eye and the lack of a very dark eye surround cancels out Goshawk. A Goshawk is not big; it's huge (when compared to Sparr and Kestrel).

 

[Hotspur]

Females can be quite a lot bigger than males - we have a local dainty male and monster female. The clear view of the eye and the lack of a very dark eye surround cancels out Goshawk. A Goshawk is not big; it's huge (when compared to Sparr and Kestrel).

Thats a bit misleading - male gos when seen in isolation dont feel huge to me. At swanton novers last week we saw an accipiter get up out of the trees and it was significantly smaller than the buzzards and although distant we wrote it off as a sparrowhawk. Watching it for a bit longer something didnt ring quite right and it had gleaming utc's and a 5:1 flap glide ratio rather than the 2:1 of a sparrowhawk and both myself and skink1978 (mike) were confident it was a male goshawk. A female stands out a mile away but males are much more subtle.

 

[StuartReeves]

Thats a bit misleading - male gos when seen in isolation dont feel huge to me. At swanton novers last week we saw an accipiter get up out of the trees and it was significantly smaller than the buzzards and although distant we wrote it off as a sparrowhawk. Watching it for a bit longer something didnt ring quite right and it had gleaming utc's and a 5:1 flap glide ratio rather than the 2:1 of a sparrowhawk and both myself and skink1978 (mike) were confident it was a male goshawk. A female stands out a mile away but males are much more subtle.

Prominent white undertail coverts are seriously over-rated as a pro-goshawk feature. I've certainly seen the feature shown by a female sparrowhawk.

 

[DOC REED]

This is all useful learning and i'm very grateful....but does anyone have a link that would show goshawk in similar flight posture??

cheers

Paul

 

[StuartReeves]

This is all useful learning and i'm very grateful....but does anyone have a link that would show goshawk in similar flight posture??

cheers

Paul

This one's pretty good: http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=showpicture&picture_id=14684

There are others on the same site at: http://www.netfugl.dk/pictures.php?id=listpictures&species_id=189&page_nr=1 but many of the flight shots involve juvenile birds which are easier to identify because of teh more distinctive plumage, i.e the breast is streaked rather than barred.

 

[Marcus Conway - ebirder]

http://www.devonbirds.org/node/271

 

[MSA]

From the New Forest a few days ago...

 

[Glaucous1]

Attached a shot showing both species together to give an idea of the size comparison - taken from an original image which can be viewed on my website, the photo shown here has had the sparrowhawk cloned and moved closer to the goshawk, to enable a tighter crop for presentation purposes.

 

[DOC REED]

some great help;thanks to all,

Cheers

Paul

 

[StuartReeves]

Attached a shot showing both species together to give an idea of the size comparison - taken from an original image which can be viewed on my website, the photo shown here has had the sparrowhawk cloned and moved closer to the goshawk, to enable a tighter crop for presentation purposes.

I'm having trouble seeing why the larger bird isn't a female sparrowhawk...

 

[Motmot]

I'm having trouble seeing why the larger bird isn't a female sparrowhawk...

Same here, looks female and male Sprawk together.

 

[Glaucous1]

Still a goshawk for me - what structural features are pointing to sparrowhawk.

 

[Motmot]

Still a goshawk for me - what structural features are pointing to sparrowhawk.

I guess it could be a 3rd calendar year male Goshawk but the distinct barring on remiges and thin tail make me think it is a female Sparrowhawk. Arm doesn't look too long, bill and legs don't look too powerful either.