As a bird lover, I enjoy the occasional report on something other than doom and gloom in the local paper.
The most distinctive difference between the collared sparrowhawk and its close relative the brown goshawk is the end of the tail. The sparrowhawk has a squarer tail than the goshawk.
Unfortunately, the photo didn’t include the tail, so the next best difference is in the build, which is always hard to determine in a feathered creature.
The sparrowhawk is more lightly built than the goshawk, and I suppose that’s why wildlife officer Rick Dawson went for the sparrow-hawk.
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READ NOWThe very long legs also suggest that, although both species have long yellow legs.
So for what it ‘s worth, I’m with Rick – very likely a collared sparrow-hawk.