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The crested goshawk (Accipiter trivirgatus) is a bird of prey from tropical Asia. It is related to other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards (or buteos) and harriers, and thus placed in the family Accipitridae.
Range and ecology
The crested goshawk breeds in southern Asia, from India and Sri Lanka to southern China, Indonesia, Taiwan, and the Philippines. It is primarily a lowland bird, and an all-year resident. Even in upland habitat it is resident in winter, for example in the Himalayas foothills of Bhutan or in Sal (Shorea robusta) forest in India's Dehradun district.
In these lands at the northern end of its range, it is generally very rare however. Essentially it is limited to tropical and warm subtropical areas. In Malaysia and Singapore there is increasing evidence of this species adapting to life in urban centres.
Like its relatives, this secretive forest bird hunts birds, mammals and reptiles in woodland, relying on surprise as it flies from a perch to catch its prey unaware. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays two or three eggs.
The ischnoceran louse Degeeriella storeri is a parasite of this bird; it is not yet known from any other host species. On the other hand, Kurodaia fulvofasciata, an amblyceran louse parasitizing the crested goshawk, is widely found on birds of prey throughout the Holarctic.
In Hong Kong, A. trivirgatus is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. It can be found in Kam Shan Country Park.
Range map from www.oiseaux.net - Ornithological Portal Oiseaux.net
www.oiseaux.net is one of those MUST visit pages if you're in to bird watching. You can find just about everything there
Taxonomy
The crested goshawk includes the following recognized subspecies:
• A. t. indicus (Hodgson, 1836)
• A. t. formosae - Mayr, 1949
• A. t. peninsulae - Koelz, 1949
• A. t. layardi (Whistler, 1936)
• A. t. trivirgatus (Temminck, 1824)
• A. t. niasensis - Mayr, 1949
• A. t. javanicus - Mayr, 1949
• A. t. microstictus - Mayr, 1949
• A. t. palawanus - Mayr, 1949
• A. t. castroi - Manuel & Gilliard, 1952
• A. t. extimus - Mayr, 1945
Description
This raptor has short broad wings and a long tail, both adaptations to manoeuvring through trees. It is 30–46 cm in length, with the female much larger than the male. The larger size and a short crest, clearly visible in profile, are the best distinctions from its relative, the besra (A. virgatus).
The male has a dark brown crown, grey head sides and black moustachial and throat stripes. The pale underparts are patterned with rufous streaks on the breast and bars on the belly. The larger female has a browner head and brown underpart streaks and bars. The juvenile has pale fringes to its head feathers, and the underpart background colour is buff rather than white.
The flight is a characteristic "slow flap, slow flap, straight glide", similar to other Accipiter species such as the northern goshawk (A. gentilis).
Length: 46 cm
Wingspan: 65 - 85 cm
Weight: 224 - 450 g
Longevity:
Distinctive Feature
Similar Species
Besra: which is smaller and lacks the crest.
From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.
Female / Male / Juvenile
• Male
Dark brown crown
Yellow eyes
Grey head sides
Dark moustachial and mesial stripes
Pale underparts has reddish breast streaks and bars on the belly
• Female: head sides are browner, and underparts streaks and bars are brown
• Juvenile: head feathers have pale fringes. Buff underparts. Grey eyes and lacks the dark mesial stripe
From opus at www.birdforum.net the forum for wild birds and birding.