Recent from talks
Nothing was collected or created yet.
Brown goshawk
View on Wikipedia
| Brown goshawk | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Tachyspiza |
| Species: | T. fasciata
|
| Binomial name | |
| Tachyspiza fasciata | |

The brown goshawk (Tachyspiza fasciata) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.
Taxonomy
[edit]The brown goshawk was formally described in 1827 by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield under the binomial name Astur fasciatus.[2] The type locality is the state of New South Wales in eastern Australia.[3] The brown goshawk was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. In 2024 a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae confirmed earlier work that had shown that the genus was polyphyletic.[4][5] To resolve the non-monophyly, Accipiter was divided into six genera. The genus Tachyspiza was resurrected to accommodate the brown goshawk together with 26 other species that had previously been placed in Accipiter. The resurrected genus had been introduced in 1844 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup.[6] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ταχυς (takhus) meaning "fast" with σπιζιας (spizias) meaning "hawk".[7] The specific epithet fasciatus, fasciata is Late Latin meaning "banded" or "striped".[8]
Thirteen subspecies are recognised:[6]
- T. f. natalis (Lister, 1889) – Christmas Island (south of west Java)
- T. f. wallacii (Sharpe, 1874) – Lombok to Babar Islands (north Lesser Sunda Islands)
- T. f. tjendanae (Stresemann, 1925) – Sumba (southwest Lesser Sunda Islands)
- T. f. stresemanni (Rensch, 1931) – Tanahjampea, Kalao, Bonerate, Kalaotoa and Madu (south, southeast of southwest Sulawesi) and Tukangbesi Islands (southeast of southeast Sulawesi)
- T. f. savu (Mayr, 1941) – Savu (east of Sumba, central Lesser Sunda Islands)
- T. f. hellmayri (Stresemann, 1922) – Rote Island, Semau and Timor (east Lesser Sunda Islands)
- T. f. buruensis (Stresemann, 1914) – Buru (central west Moluccas)
- T. f. dogwa (Rand, 1941) – Trans-Fly (central south New Guinea) and Boigu Island and Saibai Island (north Torres Strait islands, far northeast Australia)
- T. f. polycrypta (Rothschild & Hartert, EJO, 1915) – east New Guinea
- T. f. vigilax (Wetmore, 1926) – Vanuatu and New Caledonia including Loyalty Islands
- T. f. didimus (Mathews, 1912) – northeast Western Australia to Cape York Peninsula, northeast Queensland (north Australia)
- T. f. fasciata (Vigors & Horsfield, 1827) – Australia (except north) and Tasmania, Rennell Island and Bellona Island (northwest of Rennell Island; south Solomon Islands)
- T. f. rosseliana (Mayr, 1940) – Rossel Island (east Louisiade Archipelago, east of New Guinea)
Description
[edit]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
[edit]The brown goshawk is widespread through Australia, Wallacea, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji.[9] In Australia, it is found mainly in eucalypt forests and woodlands, as well as farmland and urban areas. In the Pacific, it mainly inhabits rainforest. It was also found on Norfolk Island to about 1790, and this may be another undescribed subspecies. However, the lack of specimens from Norfolk Island (1 historical skin and 9 subfossil bones is all the material that has been found)[9] means that no genetic test can be conducted.
Feeding
[edit]Brown goshawks feed mainly on other medium-sized birds, while small mammals such as rats and rabbits are also taken. Brown goshawks often hunt near farmland or wetlands, where birds such as ducks, cockatoos and pigeons are plentiful. Smaller prey such as finches, pipits and fairy-wrens are also preyed on, right up to birds the size of domestic fowls and even large, aggressive birds such as currawongs and kookaburras. Bats,[10] small reptiles, amphibians, and large insects are also occasionally eaten.
The main methods of catching prey are still-hunting, by which the goshawk waits on a hidden perch until prey comes within striking distance, and flying through undergrowth attempting to flush out small prey. Less often, goshawks will stoop on prey from above, or even chase small mammals on foot.
When a brown goshawk is discovered by other birds, smaller species panic and flee for cover, while larger birds such as ravens, crows and magpies will aggressively mob it until it leaves the area.
Breeding
[edit]It nests in tall trees on a platform of sticks and twigs lined with green leaves. The clutch size is usually three, sometimes two or four. The incubation period is about 30 days, with chicks fledging about 31 days after hatching.
References
[edit]- ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Accipiter fasciatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016 e.T22695527A93513623. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22695527A93513623.en. Retrieved 12 November 2021.
- ^ Vigors, Nicholas Aylward; Horsfield, Thomas (1827). "Australian birds in the collection of the Linnean Society; with an attempt at arranging them according to their natural affinities". Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (in English and Latin). 15 (1): 170-334 [181]. The title page is dated 1826.
- ^ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 330.
- ^ Catanach, T.A.; Halley, M.R.; Pirro, S. (2024). "Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society blae028. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blae028.
- ^ Mindell, D.; Fuchs, J.; Johnson, J. (2018). "Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes". In Sarasola, J.H.; Grange, J.M.; Negro, J.J. (eds.). Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 3–32. ISBN 978-3-319-73744-7.
- ^ a b Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Jobling, James A. "Tachyspiza". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ Jobling, James A. "fasciatus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
- ^ a b Tennyson, Alan A. D. (2007). Extinct birds of New Zealand (Reprint ed.). Wellington, New Zealand: Te Papa Press. p. 60.
- ^ Mikula, P.; Morelli, F.; Lučan, R. K.; Jones, D. N.; Tryjanowski, P. (2016). "Bats as prey of diurnal birds: a global perspective". Mammal Review. 46 (3): 160–174. doi:10.1111/mam.12060.
External links
[edit]- BirdLife Australia Profile
- Marchant, S.; Higgins, P. J., eds. (1993). Handbook of Australian, New Zealand and Antarctic Birds Vol. 2: Raptors to Lapwings. Melbourne: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-553069-1.
Brown goshawk
View on GrokipediaTaxonomy
Classification and history
The brown goshawk was first described in 1827 by Nicholas Aylward Vigors and Thomas Horsfield under the binomial name Astur fasciatus in the Transactions of the Linnean Society of London, with the type locality designated as New South Wales, Australia.[4] The species name fasciatus derives from Late Latin, meaning "banded" or "striped," alluding to the barring on the underbody plumage.[5] It is classified within the family Accipitridae, the hawks, eagles, and relatives, and placed in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which encompasses typical hawks and goshawks.[5] Historically, the brown goshawk was included in the large genus Accipiter, but molecular phylogenetic studies revealed non-monophyly in that grouping, leading to its reclassification in 2024 into the resurrected genus Tachyspiza Kaup, 1844.[6] This change, supported by ultraconserved element analyses, positions Tachyspiza fasciata closer to Pacific Island raptors such as certain sparrowhawks, reflecting evolutionary divergences within the Accipitridae.[6] The genus name Tachyspiza combines Greek roots tachys ("swift" or "fast") and spizias ("hawk"), emphasizing agile hunting traits.[5] Taxonomic debates have centered on distinguishing the brown goshawk from the sympatric grey goshawk (Accipiter novaehollandiae), with occasional reports of natural hybridization in Australia highlighting morphological and ecological overlaps, yet genetic and vocal differences affirm their status as distinct species.[7] Contemporary authorities, including the IOC World Bird List, recognize Tachyspiza fasciata as the valid nomenclature, incorporating 13 subspecies while maintaining separation from related taxa.[5]Subspecies
The brown goshawk (Tachyspiza fasciata) is classified into 13 subspecies according to the latest taxonomic revisions, which account for geographic isolation and adaptive variations across its range in Australia, Wallacea, Melanesia, and isolated islands. These subspecies differ primarily in body size, with northern and island forms often smaller, while highland New Guinean populations tend to be larger; plumage tones also vary, with paler forms in drier habitats and darker, more richly colored individuals in forested regions. Taxonomic notes include ongoing debates over the status of certain island endemics, informed by morphological and preliminary genetic data.[8] The following table summarizes the recognized subspecies, their primary geographic ranges, key morphological differences, and relevant taxonomic notes:| Subspecies | Geographic Range | Key Morphological Traits | Taxonomic Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| T. f. fasciatus | Eastern and southern Australia, including Tasmania, to southeastern Solomon Islands | Medium-sized (males ~220–400 g, females ~500–700 g); slate-gray upperparts, rufous-barred underparts; darker in mesic forests, paler in arid interiors | Nominate subspecies; represents the standard form for much of continental Australia.[1] |
| T. f. didimus | Northern Australia, western New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago | Smaller overall (females wing ~275 mm vs. ~295 mm in fasciatus); paler gray plumage, reduced rufous barring | Validated as distinct by size and color per Amadon's rule; potential overlap with buruensis in genetic analyses.[9][1] |
| T. f. dogwa | Southern New Guinea | Medium size similar to fasciatus; bold underpart barring, brown crown | Distinct from northern New Guinean forms; limited data on variations.[10] |
| T. f. papuanus | Mainland New Guinea | Larger (approaching upper size limits of species); bolder brown chevrons on underparts, darker dorsal plumage with broad rufous edges | Highland-adapted; represents one of the largest subspecies. |
| T. f. polycrypta | Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, New Ireland) | Medium size; pronounced barring on underwing coverts, variable nape collar intensity | Island form with potential local endemism; synonymy debated in older classifications.[8] |
| T. f. rosseliana | Louisiade Archipelago (Rossel Island) | Small to medium; finer barring, slightly yellower underparts | Recently retained as subspecies rather than synonym of fasciatus; candidate for split based on isolation.[11] |
| T. f. natalis | Christmas Island (Indian Ocean) | Small; pale overall plumage, reduced barring | Taxonomic uncertainty; may align more closely with A. novaehollandiae complex per phylogenetic studies, potentially warranting separation.[3][12] |
| T. f. wallacii | Lesser Sundas (Lombok to Damar, Moa) | Small; lighter gray tones, shorter wings | Widespread in Lesser Sundas; candidate for split due to isolation.[13] |
| T. f. tjendanae | Sumba Island (southern Lesser Sundas) | Small; pale underparts, fine streaking in juveniles | Island endemic; minimal variation data available. |
| T. f. stresemanni | Islands south of Sulawesi (Selayar Archipelago) | Medium-small; darker crown, distinct white supercilium | Synonymy with severa in some checklists; Wallacean form.[8] |
| T. f. hellmayri | Timor, Alor, Semau, Roti (Lesser Sundas) | Small; pale ventral barring, shorter tail | Distinct island population; potential synonymy with adjacent forms. |
| T. f. buruensis | Buru Island (southern Moluccas) | Small; similar to didimus but with more contrasting nape | Overlaps range with didimus group; genetic distinction under study.[14] |
| T. f. savu | Savu Island (Lesser Sundas) | Very small; light plumage, reduced size metrics | Restricted endemic; limited specimens suggest high isolation. |