Besra

Besra
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Tachyspiza virgata

Malay Name: Helang-Sewah Gunung Asia

Chinese Name: 松雀鹰

Range: Found from the Indian subcontinent to southern China, Indochina, Philippines and discontinuously to the Greater Sundas, Bali and Flores with some northern populations wintering south to southern India and Southeast Asia

Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: affinis, fuscipectus, besra, vanbemmeli, rufotibialis, virgata, quinquefasciata, abdulalii, confusa, quagga.

Size: 26-32 cm

Identification: Both sexes and juvenile resemble Japanese Sparrowhawk but has more prominent dark mesial streak and even-width dark and pale tail-bands. Male can be separated from Japanese Sparrowhawk by darker upperparts, blackish breast-streaks and broader rufous-chestnut bars on underparts. Female and juvenile is very similar to juvenile Japanese Sparrowhawk but has blacker breast-streaks and bars on underparts (resembling adult Crested Goshawk).

Similar looking species: Crested Goshawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Japanese Sparrowhawk, Shikra

Habitat: Open habitat, reclaimed land and offshore island.

Behaviour/Ecology:

Local Status: Rare migrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)

Featured reports: Nov 2022, Oct 2024

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Besra Tachyspiza virgata
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak weeks Nov 05-Nov 11, Nov 12-Nov 18
Early date 17 Oct 2022
Late date 15 Mar 2018
One of the rare Accipiter species of Singapore. Five records across two years in 2019 and 2020, but none in 2021.
Female Besra from Tuas South. Photo Credit: Low Choon How.
Besra at Henderson Waves. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Juvenile Besra from Khao Dinsor, Thailand. Photo Credit: Tan Gim Cheong
Juvenile Besra (top view) from Khao Dinsor, Thailand. Photo Credit: Tan Gim Cheong
Juvenile Besra (bottomview) from Khao Dinsor, Thailand. Photo Credit: Tan Gim Cheong

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Besra)

References:

BirdLife International. (2021). Accipiter virgatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22695588A154677901.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Jeyarajasingam, A., & Pearson, A. (2012). A Field Guide to the Birds of Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore. Oxford University Press.

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Besra. Retrieved on December 24, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/besra.

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