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        Discussion Area 討論區 >> Bird Identification 鳥類辨識 >>  Accipiter ID pls  ???????g?
        
(Message started by: Owlet-nightjar on Oct 1^st, 2004, 7:36pm)

Title: Accipiter ID pls ???????g?
Post by Owlet-nightjar on Oct 1^st, 2004, 7:36pm

Could that be an Eurasian Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) ?
Two were seen circling above Fung Lok Wai on the 29th of September 2004.

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http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/owlet-nightjar/Accipiter-FLW-040929-8102.jpg

http://www.hkbws.org.hk/fileServer/PhotoG/owlet-nightjar/Accipiter-FLW-040929-8103.jpg

Title: Re: Accipiter ID pls  ???????g?
Post by Paul Leader on Oct 1^st, 2004, 8:28pm

It's a Japanese Sparrowhawk (juvenile). Easiest feature on these pics is the throat pattern - plain except for a thin mesial. Northern/Eurasian has fine streaks across the entire throat.

Title: Re: Accipiter ID pls ???????g?
Post by Koel_Ko on Oct 3^rd, 2004, 2:39am

Dear Paul,
Could you enlighten us as well on how to rule out Besra? I have always been at a loss when it comes to the juveniles.

Title: Re: Accipiter ID pls  ???????g?
Post by Paul Leader on Oct 5^th, 2004, 9:29am

Besra is eliminated due to a combination of the tail pattern (dark bars obviously paler than the narrow bars), structure (relatively pointed wings, not very bulging secondaries), throat pattern (narrow mesial) and breast pattern (streaks on the breast not black and thus not obviously constrasting with the brown bars on the belly and flanks). There is paper in the 1994 HKBR which deals, in detail, with the separation of the two.

Title: Re: Accipiter ID pls  ???????g?
Post by Uncle_Tall on Oct 6^th, 2004, 9:49pm

Dear Paul,

How about the number of "fingers" and wing-tail ratio?
Are they reliable?

I got a Japanese reference:
No of fingers:
Northern Goshawk 6,
European Sparrowhawk 6, wing shorter than 2 x tail
Japanese Sparrowhawk 5 (as shown), wing longer than 2 x tail
Chinese Sparrowhawk 4

Please kindly enlighten us more. My oldest HKBR is unfortunately 1995.