Tachyspiza fasciata
3 Brown Goshawk at Deakin, ACT
Identify this sighting
| Tachyspiza fasciata | natureguy | 22 Oct 2019 | |
| Tachyspiza cirrocephala | LisaH | 21 Oct 2019 |
Please Login or Register to identify this sighting.
User's notes
I'm assuming this was a nesting site, because I was again swooped. This time, when I found the bird after hearing it chirruping, I thought I was safe by staying in close-growing saplings (I had erroneously thought little birds may have been safe because they lived in this thicket). However, the hawk still swooped, and then landed at eye-level a few feet away (and I'm pretty short), before moving even closer above my head. I left.
6 comments
22 Oct 2019
Great shots, I love the trick of getting the bird to come closer to your head so you can take more detailed photographs. I will leave that technique to you :-)
22 Oct 2019
Yes, wasn't it well planned? For a while, I seriously wondered whether I could channel your courage and wait for the next swoop for an action photograph . . . but self preservation won out.Those talons!
23 Oct 2019
I'm a bit confused. I'm assuming this is the same bird as sighting 4236590, which was identified as a sparrowhawk? My understanding was that there have been brown goshawks nesting in this area over the past few years. Thank you for your time.
23 Oct 2019
Hi Lisa, it is definitely possible for both Sparrowhawks and Goshawks to occur within the same area. As you can see there are records of both species in the vicinity of this sighting. For ID purposes, things to focus on are tail shape (Sparrowhawk has squarish tail and Goshawk has rounded), facial expression (staring vs glaring) and Sparrowhawks have a very long middle toe.
Hope this information helps, Luke.
Hope this information helps, Luke.
23 Oct 2019
...and they can be super hard to ID! I always think of Sparrowhawks as dainty (longer tail) and the Goshawks as stocky (with an "eyebrow"). Usually (not always) the Sparrowhawk will have more rufous down its neck and different barring. Colour is tricky though, as there is a lot of variation. Ideally you also see their behaviour, movement or flight shape and learn the sounds. If you are keen, I highly recommend purchasing some specific raptor or bird of prey books... quite a few have released new editions this year. Warning, it can be addictive and frustrating. :)
Location information
- Coordinates 149.103138-35.325836
- Maps Red Hill Nature Reserve
- Places Deakin, ACT
Sighting information
- 1 Abundance
- 21 Oct 2019 11:36 AM Recorded on
- LisaH Recorded by
- Yes Nesting site
Collections
- Illilanga flagged sightings LisaH Canberra & Southern Tablelands NatureMapr Tachyspiza fasciata Birds of prey Birds
Species information
- Tachyspiza fasciata Scientific name
- Brown Goshawk Common name
- Not Sensitive
- Local native
- Non-invasive or negligible
- Up to 1325m Recorded at altitude
Seasonal activity
-
Nesting site
JFMAMJJASOND
Record quality
Quality score
6 / 7
- Images or audio
- More than one media file
- Verified by an expert moderator
- Nearby sighting(s) of same species
- Description
- Additional attributes
- GPS evidence of location