bird id needed

pinseeker

018[1].JPG hawk1.jpg

019[1].JPGhawk2.jpg

020[2].JPGhawk3.jpg

Hi lads first time posting on this part of forum.The pics if there downloaded correctly are of a bird my brother took this morning and emailed to me.We are both into birds of prey and spot the usual suspects Kestrel,buzzard and sparrowhawks.So with that he tells me this bird was very large,not far off Buzzard size.I obviously said female sprawk but he is adament it was very large.Dont really want to get ahead and say it might be the only other candidate.
So hopefully you lads will confirm sprawk.
pics not great prob as bird was very high

weisses

Sparrowhawk comes closest with what i can find

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ARr4f4UC-UM/TAlWswJ0RKI/AAAAAAAAAsE/cstaqpVmyaI/s1600/sparrowhawk_1304082852.jpg

V_Moth

Hi,

I am 90% sure that it is a female Sprawk - I just don't think that it loks "heavy" enough for Goshawk. For example the wings just looks too narrow, as does the tail.

Females Sprawks can be significantly lager than males (as is the case in most Birs of Prey). Some figures from the Collins Bird Guide:
-Fem. Sprawk: L 35-41cm / WS 67-80cm
-Buzzard: L 48-56cm / WS 110-130cm
-Male/Fem Goshawk: L 49-56cm/58-64cm WS 90-105cm/108-120cm

One thing to take into account as well is that a pale/white bird against a dark background such as a deep blue sky will always look larger than it really is. I have seen Goshawk only a handful of times in Wales and Hungary and they always appeared to me as being larger than a Buzzard.

[As a sidenote, I don't *think* there any published photos of wild Irish Goshawk as yet.]

Hope this helps!

weisses

V_Moth wrote: »

Hi,

I am 90% sure that it is a female Sprawk

What's a Sprawk

Sparrowhawk ???

pinseeker

Thanks v Moth.
Mentioned it to brother about fact it may just have looked huge as nothing to gage size from.Mind you he has seen fare share of buzzards and he said his first thought was buzzard when he spotted it.
As you said tho it was most likely just a very large female sprawk.

V_Moth

weisses wrote: »

What's a Sprawk

Sparrowhawk ???

Sorry for the unexplained abbreviation. It does indeed refer to Sparrowhawk.