Besra

Accipiter virgatus

Beak

—

Feet

—

Crest

Has a crest

Resident. Himalayas, NE and SW India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Small, with short primary projection (less than one - third down tail). Upperparts are darker in coloration and underwing is strongly barred compared with Shikra. while prominent gular stripe and streaked breast should separate it from Eurasian. in all plumages resembles Crested Goshawk, but is considerably smaller, la cks crest. and has longer and finer legs. Adult male told from Shikra by dark slate - grey upperparts la cking strong contrast with primaries, broad blackish gular stripe, bold rufous streaking on breast and barring on belly, flanks and thighs, and pronounced and broad dark tail barring. Adult female is similar, but upperparts are browner, with blackish crown and nape, and yellow iris (red in male). Juvenile has brown upperparts with rufous fringes, prominent gular stripe, and streaked/spotted breast and belly and barred flanks. Told from immature Shikra by darker, richer brown upperparts, broader gular stripe, and broader tail barring. From Eurasian Sparrowhawk by streaked underparts. Male A. v. abdu/a/ii, from the Andaman Is, is quite different from those from the rest of the subcontinent: the breast is greyish-tawny, the belly dull tawny and the thighs light grey, the ent ire underparts lacking streaking or barring. Female abdu/alli is as in other subspecies. Expert at dodging and twisting at speed through dense forest undergrowth. Breeds in dense broadleaved forest also open wooded country in winter.