Recently we have seen a pair of hawks around the property, rapidly flying through the treetops on the hunt trying to scare birds to take flight to enable a strike.
Yesterday late afternoon I heard one calling and I found both birds were in the trees near the house but only one was on a branch in a clear area preening for a photo.
It was catching the last of the sun and stayed for some time until its mate flew and then it followed.
They are quite small hawks and I was not sure of the identification as there are a couple that are quite similar particularly in their young plumage.
On checking in my field guide it showed the distinctive feature, a tail with indented square shape and plumage that identified it as a young Collared Sparrowhawk Accipiter cirrhocephalus where as the similar Brown Goshawk has a rounded tail end.
Today I heard them again calling nearby and found one had landed on a branch to feed on a bird that it had caught.
It managed to get in a few bites before its mate came to get in on the feed but it was not going to share and took flight.
Collared Sparrowhawks are widely distributed through Australia in varied habitat.
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