Brown Goshawk or Collared Sparrowhawk

Is it a Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus) or a Collared Sparrowhawk (Accipiter cirrhocephalus)?

Identification tips…

This bird was larger and heavier than a crow.

Compared to a Collared Sparrowhawk, a Brown Goshawk …

  • Has a heavier brow ridge and flatter crown than a Collared Sparrowhawk
  • Rounded tail shape compared to notched or square-tipped tail in Collared Sparrowhawk.
  • Goshawk legs are long and yellow and the legs and toes are thicker than those of the Collared Sparrowhawk

Both birds feed on small birds and mammals, reptiles and insects. 

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