>Accipiter fasciatus (Brown Goshawk)

Brown Goshawk

Brown Goshawk
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.)
Family:	Accipitridae
Genus:	Accipiter
Species:	A. fasciatus
Binomial name
Accipiter fasciatus (Vigors and Horsfield, 1827)

An immature Brown Goshawk flying in Tasmania, Australia

The Brown Goshawk (Accipiter fasciatus) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands.

Description

Its upperparts are grey with a chestnut collar; its underparts are mainly rufous, finely barred with white. Thus it has similar colouring to the Collared Sparrowhawk but is larger. The flight is fast and flexible. The body length is 40–55 cm (15.7–21.7 in); the wingspan, 75–95 cm (29.5–37.4 in). Females are noticeably larger: adult males weigh 220 g (7.8 oz), and adult females, 355 g (12.5 oz).

Distribution and habitat

The Brown Goshawk is widespread through Australia, Tasmania, Wallacea, New Guinea,New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji. It is found in forests and woodlands.

Feeding

It eats mainly birds; also small mammals, reptiles, amphibians; occasionally insects.

Breeding

It nests in tall trees on a platform of sticks and twigs lined with green leaves. The clutchsize is usually three, sometimes two or four. The incubation period is about 30 days, with chicks fledging about 31 days after hatching.

Subspecies

There are twelve described subspecies:

• A. f. fasciatus (nominate) - (Vigors et Horsfield, 1827)
• A. f. buruensis - Stresemann, 1914
• A. f. didimus - (Mathews, 1912)
• A. f. dogwa - Rand, 1941
• A. f. helmayri - Stresemann, 1922
• A. f. natalis - (Lister, 1889)
• A. f. polycryptus - Rothschild et Hartert, 1915
• A. f. savu - Mayr, 1941
• A. f. stresemanni - Rensch, 1931
• A. f. tjendanae - Stresemann, 1925
• A. f. vigilax - (Wetmore, 1926)
• A. f. wallacii - (Sharpe, 1874)