Hi
I noticed that separating these two can be quite hard and it still gets me sometimes. I wanted to put both birds together where you can see some of the differences that may help in identification.
Its often said that the goshawk glares and the CSH stares, you can see the brow above the Goshawk eye clearly here and the CSH has a very rounded eye.
The Goshawk wears the baggy pants and the CSH has long clean legs.
The tail shape is another with the Goshawk having the rounded tail and the CSH having a.......well you can see it here.
These pics dont show the difference in the length of the middle toe but that will probably be hard to use as identification anyway.
BROWN GOSHAWK
COLLARED SPARROWHAWK
Great pics Headsie and really helps with the separation of IDs... you can really see who is staring and who is glaring that is for sure. Trouble is with my eyes I'd never see that much detail lol
Thanks for posting this it is really interesting
cheers
BIrdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Much appreciated, Headsie. The pair really shows the difference between the glare & the stare. This juxtaposition of similar species is something for field guide producers to consider.
They are so similar I wouldn't have believed it! Great pics, thank you for showing them.
Karen
Brisbane southside.
Thanks for illustrating the differences Headsie. Good shots also.
I would like to add that the Collared Sparrowhawk is much more finely built than the Brown Goshawk.
Cheers, Owen.
The 1st pic is possibly one of the best Goshawk shots I have seen, top stuff.
Cool, thanks for that. So good to see them together like that.
Kathiemt
Selby, Victoria
Thanks so much for this. It was a great idea to show us the two together and point out the differences. This kind of post is really interesting and useful. Great photos too btw
Two beautiful close-ups Headsie, thnx for sharing.
Question to anyone, does my hawk stare or glare???
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Looks like a glare to me Al
Another nice shot ... good to see you again too
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Yep, looks like a glare to me too, al.
I've never seen either of these birds myself, but this is a great description of the differences and how to ID them.
Thanks Headsie!
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
Thanks Adrienne & Tim ,
everyone probably agrees with you but I thought I might get a few stares :)
From what you and hopefully others can see from half a bird, would you call it a GH or CSH or too difficult to judge?
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
I would call it a Goshawk Al...... I have always been told that they have the frown thing happening .. when you look at Headsie's shots the CSH hass a totally benign look ... this could be a trap yhou haave set but that is what i think anyway
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Adrienne, not a trap.
Just wanted to point out how difficult it can be identifying a CSH/ GH from a photo.
A single mark, like a stare/glare, is not likely to distinguish one species from the other.
You need the overall gestalt of the bird for a proper ID.
Headsie's close-ups clearly show all the important differences.
I find the legs/ toes the most importent ones in photos.
My bird is an adult, female CSH. The photo was taken just prior to its release after rehab for an injured left wing.
Here is another photo from a slightly different angle showing a stare?
High up in the sky enjoying its freedom again.
Cheers,
al
Central Victoria
https://sites.google.com/site/blackhillreservekyneton/home
Thanks Al.... I had a feeling i'd be wrong but good that you have helped Headsie to help the rest of us to identity what must be one of the most difficult two species to tell apart.. Must be great to release and see them fly free again !
Sunshine Coast Queensland
I think you have just reinforced how difficult they are to tell apart, al.
Apart from the tail shape, almost everything in your latest photo looks to me more like Headsie's BG pic... :)
Cheers
Tim
Brisbane
I am new to this kind of media, so excuse me if I have not done it correctly.
Can you please tell me whether this bird is a Brown Goshawk of a Collared Sparrowhawk. A pair of them has been hanging around out the back, we back onto a golf course in Joondalup Western Australia
I took another shot the next day and assume it is the same bird
Greg, I think this is a Collared Sparrowhawk. According to the sheet of paper I have listing the comparative features of the Collared Sparrowhawk & the Brown Goshawk the middle toe on the former extends beyond the other two toes. The middle toe of the Brown Goshawk doesn't extend beyond the other two toes. Your first photo clearly shows the middle toe extending beyond the other two toes. You were fortunate (or highly skilled!) to get a shot showing the toes quite clearly.
I agree with CSH. I go mainly by the amount of feathering down the legs which tend to go further down the legs on a BG. The cere is usually more noticeable on the BG as well although in flight or at a distance it can be a very hard call.
Samford Valley Qld.