This record was submitted by Vincent Ng YM on 12 Nov 2022. All user submissions will be reviewed by the Records Committee. Entries listed here may be edited for brevity and clarity while the original record is left unchanged.
This record was submitted to the Records Committee for review.
The Records Committee began deliberating on this record.
The Records Committee completed its review and finalised its verdict.
| Species | Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus |
|---|---|
| Record ID | 10389 |
| Date | 11 Nov 2022 |
| Location | Henderson Waves |
| Count | 1 individual |
| Date added | 12 Nov 2022 |
This record has not been accepted by the Records Committee. For more details, see below.
| Background |
|---|
| After thourough evaluation of all available images (see associated Records) we voted that the level of evidence available is insufficient in accepting the record as a Eurasian Sparrowhawk (ESH). While having six "fingers" is an ESH feature, Japanese Sparrowhawks (JSH) could display similar characteristics if their p4 (the sixth finger counting from the outside) is in moult. Our RC also reached a majority consensus that the shape of the bird is pro-JSH: ESH typically has a comparatively small looking head due to their bulkier size. A note was also made on the throat of the bird - there seems to be no gular stripe in the bird based on available photographs (usually seen in Japanese sparrowhawk), but there is variation in this feature too (here, an example of an adult female Japanese Sparrowhawk with no throat markings at all https://ebird.org/checklist/S121935352). For additional transparency of our voting procedure: from what we understand, two experienced birdwatchers (one Singapore, one Thailand) felt that this bird was a ESH, while two others (likewise one Singapore and one Thailand) thought JSH instead. As evident from the split opinions, often times, Accipiter identification from photographs alone - especially if the bird is far - can be confounded by various factors (angle, wind etc). We'd be more than happy to re-evaluate this record if the birding community learns new features on how these species can be better identified in the field. |
| Vote results | Against: 5, Abstain: 3 |
|---|---|
| Verdict | Not accepted (Verifiable) |
| Date revised | Changes made |
|---|---|
| 10 Apr 2023 | Added Background text regarding identification and voting procedure. |
Bird Society of Singapore. (2022). Record 10389: Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://records.singaporebirds.com/record/10389/.
