Skip to content

Young Shikras Can Be Separated From Levant Sparrowhawks by Iris, Undertail and Wing Structure

Shikra perched in a tree at Thol Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat
Research · Anatomy & morphology

A study published in June 2026 examined photographs of 75 first-calendar-year shikras (Tachyspiza badia) and 93 first-calendar-year levant sparrowhawks (Tachyspiza brevipes) to test field characters used to separate the two similar small hawks. The images, drawn mainly from the Macaulay Library and dated from June to November, were assessed for iris colour, undertail-covert markings and details of the folded and open wing.

Iris colour was one of the clearest differences. Young shikras normally showed a vivid yellow iris that remained conspicuous even in lower-resolution photographs, whereas almost all levant sparrowhawks appeared dark-eyed. Only two very recently fledged shikras in the sample had blue-grey irises, and even these were paler than the pupil.

The undertail-coverts and primary structure provided additional separation. Every levant sparrowhawk that could be assessed had at least some dark markings on the undertail-coverts, while most shikras appeared unmarked or showed only sparse, small marks. On perched birds, the tips of the longest folded primaries were also arranged differently: in levant sparrowhawk the spacing between P5, P6 and P7 was close to even, while in shikra P6 lay distinctly closer to P7 than to P5. The open wing also differed: levant sparrowhawks typically showed four primary fingers and a narrow wing tip formed mainly by P7 and P8, whereas shikras showed five fingers and a broader tip because P6 was nearly as long as P7 and P8.

The image sample also suggested an earlier start to post-juvenile moult in the resident shikra population of the United Arab Emirates than older reference works had indicated. Many first-calendar-year birds showed obvious moult in autumn, in some cases from August, while none of the levant sparrowhawks examined showed post-juvenile moult. The author notes that this timing may be less useful in migratory shikra populations from more seasonal climates, where moult would be expected to begin later.

The distinction is becoming increasingly relevant because shikras have expanded westward and southward in recent years, including across parts of the Middle East, increasing the chances that observers encounter the two similar species in the same region.

Sources and image credit

  1. Campbell, O. (2026). Separation of first-calendar-year Levant Sparrowhawk and Shikra, with reference to a record from the UAE. British Birds, 119, 316–328.Primary article in British Birds, Issue 6, June 2026. The publisher gives the publication month but not a day. Images of 93 first-calendar-year Levant Sparrowhawks and 75 first-calendar-year Shikras were examined for iris colour, undertail-covert markings and folded/open-wing structure; the article also discusses post-juvenile moult timing in resident UAE Shikras.

Image: Gannu03 — Shikra (Tachyspiza badia) at Thol Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat, India, photographed 21 December 2024; Wikimedia Commons; tighter 16:9 crop; representative species image, not one of the birds analysed in the study · CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Source

About this content: This story was produced with AI assistance within an editorial workflow developed by Wildlife Vagabond. Editorial responsibility remains with Wildlife Vagabond.How AI is used

Anatomy & morphology

SPECIES IN THIS STORY

Species in this story

Shikra Tachyspiza badia Explore species

Independent research and conservation news archive

Did you find this information useful?

Wildlife Vagabond is independently built and maintained. Voluntary support helps cover source verification, hosting and continued work on research and conservation news.

Support Wildlife Vagabond

The news archive will remain freely available.