Sparrowhawk versus Goshawk

It looks like a female Sparrowhawk to me,an adult Goshawk would have an orange eye,is a much bulkier bird (think Spar on steroids!!) and the chances of a rare bird like a Goshawk in a garden  are pretty slim,but not unknown of course.

Impressive picture though...

Thanks Jason, really helpful.

Oh I wouldn't know what it is, just saying its a good shot

I tend to agree, female Sprawk. The female is larger than the male, and the pigeon give a good comparison. Males will take on Pigeons, but prefer smaller prey.

Plumage-wise, the confusion arises between adult Goshawk and adult female Sparrowhawk. Juveniles of both species are distinctive, as are adult male Sparrowhawks. This looks like a juvenile female Sparrowhawk. Both Goshawk and Sparrowhawk are very brown and heavily marked in juvenile/first-winter plumage, but the Goshawk has vertical streaks on the underparts rather than the horizontal barring this bird displays.

What Seaman says about bulk is pretty key. Gos is much heftier and thicker-legged with a proportionately shorter tail and a seriously powerful bill. A small male Gos isn't that much bigger than a large female Sparrowhawk in bill-to-tail length but the different proportions are more noticeable.

Adult Gos has horizontal barring below, but the barring is finer than on adult female Sprawk, adult Gos looks quite pale below. It has a bold and long white supercilium, giving the impression of it having a dark cap, and (in older birds) shows orange/red rather than yellow eyes.

Detailed article on separating the two species here: http://www.birdwatch.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?item=744

Thats interesting about the eye colour aiki. Another thing I have learnt. ( If I can remember).

Dear Peter,

A Goshawk will weigh from 2 to 3lbs in weight, The male being the smaller.

A sparrowhawk is from 8 to 12ozs.

They are much much smaller,

Photo of a Female Goshawk attached..

Thanks everyone for your help. This week was my first time on the forum and I can see it's going to be helpful.

Peter

Peter,  I was once a wildlife inspector.  The difference between a Sparrowhawk and a Goshawk for me was that I was happy to go into a sparrowhawk aviary with the owner, I was never very happy going into the goshawk aviary - aggressive birds.