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11 April 2015

Unusually patterned Eurasian Sparrowhawk – Sabkhat Al Fasl

Whilst birding at Sabkhat Al Fasl Phil Roberts and I found an unusually patterned Eurasian Sparrowhawk. The bird had large white spots on its mantle similar to that shown by Northern Goshawk, but the bird was too small for that species and lacked the typical obvious supercillium and face pattern. We did not get good views of the bird just brief flight views as it flew along the edge of the reed beds and landed in dead tree before flying off again over the reeds and out of sight (top two photographs). The same bird was seen three weeks later (see bottom photograph) in the same place still showing the white spots on the mantle but again was seen briefly and at rang before flying off. This is the first time I have seen this on a Eurasian Sparrowhawk and we seen many every year in the Eastern Province.
Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk