Most likely just a Sparrowhawk, but....(Fife, Scotland). (1 Viewer)

[Stonefaction]

Saw this bird at Guardbridge in Fife, Scotland, briefly today and managed to grab a couple of very distant photos. Was using a very small handheld scope when I first picked it up perched on a large washed up tree trunk. As I pointed it out to a couple of other birders in the hide, it flew a short distance just as they got onto it. It landed briefly again, where I managed a second and third shot, before it flew again towards us, before heading upriver and away from us. I suspect it is just a very large female Sparrowhawk (but there is a slight element of doubt - 5% or so), but it looks very bulky and powerful, and head-on in flight the body looked rather wide too. Unfortunately I didn't get a flight shot.

Sparrowhawk is regular around there, but this bird appeared a good bit bigger - thought it might be one of the regular Peregrines at first. Goshawk has been seen a couple of times from the hide in the past, so it's not impossible, just unlikely.
Any opinions?

 

[Lmc3598]

Looks like a sparrowhawk, female goshawk would be larger and male goshawks would have grey wings and a white underside, also more bulky.

 

[Biancone]

Looks like an accipiter. Certainly has some bulk to it, but judging by size in relation to Shelduck in the background of third image, it's got to be Sparrowhawk!

 

[Brian Stretch]

Agree that it is a Sparrowhawk.

It has the slight build of one and the long legs evident in the 3rd pic rule out Peregrine (or Merlin).

Brian
______________________________________
Birding Today - Midlands January 2011 Review

 

[Stonefaction]

The Shelducks were a good bit behind the bird - the long lens (500mm) compresses the perspective.
I'll try and find a photo of a bird at the same place as the first two pics, and compare the relative sizes. I suspect it is/was just a Sparrowhawk, but it appeared a lot larger than any Sparrowhawk I've seen previously (so most likely a large female).

 

[Stonefaction]

Brian, I've seen both Peregrine and Merlin here before - (Peregrine regularly), and knew that this wasn't either - though initially Peregrine was considered and rejected. It was between a large female Sparrowhawk and an unlikely (though not impossible) Goshawk. Not sure about "slight" build - this was a far chunkier Accipiter than the usual Sparrowhawks I've seen around this area - maybe the ones you see are better fed compared to my usual ones.||

 

[RecoveringScot]

Here's a blowup of the bird. It doesn't look at all clear-cut as Sparrowhawk to me.

 

[Stonefaction]

Thanks, all. I carried out a wee experiment after tracking down a photo of another bird in the same area, taken from the same place (of an Osprey). I then superimposed today's bird over the same area, then moved the resized section next to the Osprey. The size difference suggests that the large female Sparrowhawk conclusion is most likely the right one.....though it looks like RecoveringScot is seeing the same features that caused me that 5% of doubt.

 

[RecoveringScot]

Thanks, all. I carried out a wee experiment after tracking down a photo of another bird in the same area, taken from the same place (of an Osprey). I then superimposed today's bird over the same area, then moved the resized section next to the Osprey. The size difference suggests that the large female Sparrowhawk conclusion is most likely the right one.....though it looks like RecoveringScot is seeing the same features that caused me that 5% of doubt.

Well, blurry snaps are difficult, but see the noticeable dark cap behind the eye, the general tubby look, the grey wings, the thick neck and the rather whitish underparts - also the rather pronounced feathering at the top of the legs. If it was a Sparrowhawk it was a darn Gossy-looking one!

Cheers

 

[Simon Wates]

After shooting myself in the foot a couple of times recently I was keeping my mouth shut - but now someone has had the courage, I also feel that this looks more like a Goshawk - for the same reasons and the voluminous under tail coverts

 

[Lmc3598]

If it was a goshawk it would be bulkier, flatter head and larger body. Also, gos would most likrly be grey and white, and probably be sitting on top of a dead sparrowhawk!

 

[RecoveringScot]

A comparison shot of a definite Gos (though whiter than average as was on snow):

http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=251266&d=1270233314

 

[Lmc3598]

Phoyo three is best cause it shows the bird in a pose that could only be a sparrowhawk

 

[Simon Wates]

Hmmm...this record shot of a Goshawk in flight looks a bit ghostly too - I thought it was a subad at the time. (Photo by a friend who's not on the forum)

 

[Simon Wates]

Phoyo three is best cause it shows the bird in a pose that could only be a sparrowhawk

I'm certain posture doesn't exclude any Accipiter really

 

[RecoveringScot]

I've just looked at several hundred pictures of grounded female Sparrowhawk. Conclusion? Inconclusive.

Cheers

 

[Simon Wates]

I've just looked at several hundred pictures of grounded female Sparriowhawk. Conclusion? Inconclusive.

Cheers

I agree - it would have been a lot easier to see it in flight though! Goshawk is pretty obvious after a few times watching them....

 

[Stonefaction]

Thanks, Simon and Phil for backing up my own impressions of this bird. I've also waded through a lot of Sparrowhawk photos tonight trying to find one that looks just then same as this bird, and very few give me the same 'feel' as my bird from today. Those few that do are invariably adult females.

Lucas, I notice from your blog that you haven't yet seen Goshawk (in the wild). The longer you watch birds the more you'll come to realise that birds don't read bird books - ie. - they don't always look/behave/sound like the books say they should (or show up where they should or shouldn't). I see Sparrowhawks probably at least once a week these days, and this one was sufficiently different/unusual to make me wonder about it (and snap a few pics to study at home). This place (BirdForum) is a good place to learn though.

 

[Simon Wates]

I for one only try to help on ID when I am well familiar with the species in question, which in the case of Goshawk equates to well over a 100 sightings. If I had to put money on it - the bird in question is a Goshawk - if it was my first I'd want to see one again before I was entirely convinced though!

 

[Shadow-watcher]

I for one only try to help on ID when I am well familiar with the species in question,

I too only do this, but the Sparrowhawk-Goshawk problem is nearly never able to be resolved, and all to often ends up being sparrowhawk by default. First impression for me was Goshawk because I think the bird looks big (compared to Spawk).