This is a Grey Goshawk, but it’s a lot lighter in colour than others I’ve seen, and it doesn’t seem to have the barring on its front (though I didn’t get to see it fully front on). It was at Manly Dam in Sydney’s Northern Beaches area.

There are two colour variations in the Grey Goshawk: the white morph and the grey morph. The white morph is found in north-western Australia, Tasmania, and the Victorian coast. It isn’t known to be found near Sydney. Besides which, this bird has light grey plumage as well as white, whereas the white morph is entirely white.

Whatever the answer to the question about its colour, this is a gorgeous bird.

Common name: Grey Goshawk
Scientific name: Accipiter novaehollandiae
Approximate length: 40-55 cm. Wing span: 70-110 cm.
Date spotted: 1 October 2024 (spring)
Location: Manly Dam Reserve, New South Wales, Australia: 33°46’22.5″S 151°14’35.7″E