Scientific Name: Tachyspiza gularis
Malay Name: Helang-Sewah Jepun
Chinese Name: 日本松雀鹰
Range: Found from Siberia, northeast China, Korea to Japan and winters to southern China and Southeast Asia
Taxonomy: Polytypic. Subspecies are: sibirica, gularis, iwasakii.
Local Subspecies: gularis
Size: 25-31 cm
Identification: Male has dark greyish-blue upperparts, pinkish-rufous barrings on underparts, reddish eyes with yellow eyering, yellow cere and faint or no mesial streak. Female resembles male but larger and has distinctly browner upperparts, yellowish eyes, more prominent mesial streak and all barred underparts. Juvenile resembles female but has darker brown upperparts, streaked breast and flanks/belly marked with broken bars. Both adult and juvenile shows five prominent fingers in flight.
Similar looking species: Crested Goshawk, Chinese Sparrowhawk, Besra, Eurasian Sparrowhawk, Shikra
Habitat: Forest, forest edge, wooded areas and open country.
Behaviour/Ecology:
Local Status: Common migrant
Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2021)
Location: Any suitable patch of habitat like Punggol Barat, Lorong Halus, Tampines Eco Green, Pasir Ris Park, Central Catchment Forest, Changi and Tuas.
- RAP201: How to Identify Uncommon Raptors (ID Articles)
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- RAP301: What is that raptor? (ID Articles)
- Why we designed our migrant bar charts (Science)
- Singapore Birds Project Raptor Watch at Henderson Waves (Blog)
- Primary bars – an unnoticed identification feature in sparrowhawks? (ID Articles)
- Checklist Revision for September 2024 (Checklist Revisions)
Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link
eBird Species page: eBird (Japanese Sparrowhawk)
References:
BirdLife International. (2021). Accipiter gularis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22695585A198774300.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.
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.). Japanese Sparrowhawk. Retrieved on November 11, 2024 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/japanese-sparrowhawk.