Birdsong field guide
Collared Sparrowhawk
Tachyspiza cirrocephala
A small, agile raptor endemic to the Australasian region, characterized by its rapid flight and specialization in hunting small birds. It is frequently confused with the Brown Goshawk but is smaller with a distinctive square-tipped tail.
What it sounds like
A rapid, high-pitched series of shrill, chattering notes sounding like 'ki-ki-ki-ki' or 'kek-kek-kek'.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
No reference call found yet · Xeno-canto
Field notes
- Possesses a uniquely long middle toe, which acts as a specialized tool for snatching small avian prey out of the air.
- Exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism, with females weighing nearly double the mass of the males.
- Distinguished from the similar Brown Goshawk by its square tail, finer legs, and a less prominent brow ridge.
- Utilizes a 'sit-and-wait' hunting strategy or low-level fast flight to surprise prey in thick vegetation.
- Constructs a stick nest lined with green leaves, usually situated in the fork of a tall eucalypt tree.
Habitat
Eucalypt forests, woodlands, scrublands, and increasingly common in urban parks or leafy suburbs.
Range
Widespread across mainland Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and adjacent islands.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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