Shikra or sparrowhawk?
For the past two-three days, I have been waking up to a call of 'kichew...kichew'...just outside my hostel window. There, on the neem tree, was a little hawk...so familiar in IIT, and yet so unfamiliar to me. For I have been trying to correctly identify what this is. It is quite common in the woods around IIT, and I have even seen it capture mynas. It made a typical 'wing-tent' on the ground around the captured myna...I am almost sure it is a sparrowhawk. It is either a shikra or a sparrowhawk (besra or eurasian). Sometimes it has the characteristic greyish-blue shikra back, but sometimes it is brown. The bird on the neem tree looks superb through my binos.
Even Salim Ali's book mentions it is difficult to distinguish between the sparrowhawk or shikra.
Any suggestions anyone?
Even Salim Ali's book mentions it is difficult to distinguish between the sparrowhawk or shikra.
Any suggestions anyone?
posted by pappu at 4:48 AM
5 Comments:
test comment
You shld already have this .. but the local lib here has website which has documented photos of all birds .. will find the link and send u ..
I've always had this problem. Mr. Preston A. from WWF had said the birds in IIT are Shikra and mentioned something about the flight pattern. Recently I went birding with a group in Kolkata and they said that one (and now I forget which one) can have different coloured (white, brown) head at different times while the other (Shikra?) always has a grey head.
Good words.
I have to thank you such an article.It is very suitable for anyone to make a lot of details in appreciation. You would add some more data.
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