New Britain Sparrowhawk Tachyspiza brachyura Scientific name definitions

27–36 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), female up to 20% larger than male (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); wingspan 50–62 cm (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Small Tachyspiza with blackish-slate upperparts (darkest on crown), clear-cut rufous collar, whiter throat and belly, pale gray breast becoming rufous-toned at sides, pointed wings, very short tail, relatively deep-based bill, and long narrow legs and toes (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Bare parts: irides dark red (brown in juvenile), cere greenish-yellow (greenish in juvenile), and legs yellow to orange-yellow (paler yellow in juvenile) (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Distinguished from adult of sympatric Slaty-mantled Goshawk (Tachyspiza luteoschistacea), the most similar species in range, by yellow (not orange-red) facial skin and legs, long middle toe and rufous collar; New Britain Goshawk (Tachyspiza princeps) is larger, paler above and whiter below, and has orange eyes and legs, while relevant subspecies (dampieri) of Variable Goshawk (Tachyspiza hiogaster) is pale gray above and pink below in adult plumage (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Juvenile has strongly dark-barred rufous upperparts and tail, blackish crown with rufous feather fringes, and pale buff underparts coarsely streaked brown (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Has been suggested that this species has distinctive immature plumage, distinguished by combination of rufous collar, barred breast, orange cere and legs, and dark red eyes, but confirmation is required (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Traditionally thought to form a species-group with the Rufous-necked Sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza erythrauchen), Collared Sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza cirrocephala), and possibly Vinous-breasted Sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza rhodogaster).

The New Britain Sparrowhawk was long placed in the genus Accipiter, which at the time was the largest genus in Accipitridae (2 Dickinson, E. C., and J. V. Remsen Jr., Editors (2013). The Howard & Moore Complete Checklist of the Birds of the World. Fourth edition. Volume 1. Aves Press, Eastbourne, UK. Close , 3 del Hoyo, J., and N. J. Collar (2014). HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain. Close , 4 Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood (2023). The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close , 5 Gill, F., D. Donsker, and P. Rasmussen (Editors) (2024). IOC World Bird List (v14.1). Close ). Molecular phylogenetic studies, however, have shown that a broad concept Accipiter may not represent a monophyletic group (e.g., 6 Griffiths, C. S., G. F. Barrowclough, J. G. Groth, and L. A. Mertz (2007). Phylogeny, diversity, and classification of the Accipitridae based on DNA sequences of the RAG-1 exon. Journal of Avian Biology 38(5):587–602. Close , 7 Oatley, G., R. E. Simmons, and J. Fuchs (2015). A molecular phylogeny of the harriers (Circus, Accipitridae) indicate the role of long distance dispersal and migration in diversification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 85:150–160. Close , 8 Mindell, D. P., J. Fuchs, and J. A. Johnson (2018). Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes. In Birds of Prey (J. Sarasola, J. Grande and J. Negro, Editors), Springer, Cham, Switzerland. pp. 3–32. Close ). Morphological convergence across Accipitridae, and even across Accipitriformes, has led to confusion over relationships before, and the genus Accipiter appears to be yet another case where convergence has led to incorrect classification and taxonomy. While we have long suspected that Accipter is not monophyletic, no action had been taken by taxonomic authorities due to poor taxonomic sampling and concern that additionally sampled taxa would affect the relationships recovered. Catanach et al. (9 Catanach, T. A., M. R. Halley, and S. Pirro (2024). Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 2024:blae028 Close ) overcame these concerns by broadly sampling the group, using ultraconserved element (UCE) loci to resolve the relationships among the genus Accipiter and its allies. In the study, Catanach et al. (9 Catanach, T. A., M. R. Halley, and S. Pirro (2024). Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 2024:blae028 Close ) found that the harriers (Circus), as well as several other genera (e.g., Erythrotriorchis, Megatriorchis, Melierax), were embedded within the traditional genus Accipiter, rending it polyphyletic. Further, many of the clades identified were not each other's closest relative, and instead were successively sister; these results required extensive taxonomic changes. The New Britain Sparrowhawk was found to form a well-supported clade with numerous African, Asian, and Australasian taxa, and together these species were sister to a small clade of former Accipter raptors now classified as the genus Aerospiza. Based on these results, the New Britain Sparrowhawk and its close relatives have been transferred to the genus Tachyspiza (10 Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, M. Smith, and C. L. Wood (2024). The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2024. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. Close ), following the recommendation of Catanach et al. (9 Catanach, T. A., M. R. Halley, and S. Pirro (2024). Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 2024:blae028 Close ).

New Britain and southern Latangai (New Ireland) (Bismarck Archipelago).

Tropical rainforest, forest edge and partly cleared areas; from sea-level to at least 900 m on New Britain, but recorded at 1200–1800 m on Latangai (New Ireland) (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

Unknown; no records outside normal range, although juveniles presumably wander to some extent (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

No information. Morphology (especially foot structure (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ) ) suggests that it probably hunts small birds of densely wooded areas.

Undescribed (1 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ).

No information available.

VULNERABLE. CITES II. Very poorly known; rare to scarce and seldom encountered by ornithologists. Thought to have very small subpopulations on two islands and to be declining in lowlands. Confined to New Britain, from where only a handful of records, and Latangai (New Ireland), where recently discovered and found to be commonest raptor (though not very common) in montane forests (11 Beehler, B. M., Angle, J. P., Gibbs, D., Hedemark, M. and Kuro, D. (2001). A field survey of the resident birds of southern New Ireland. In:. Close ). True distribution uncertain owing to confusion with other members of genus on New Britain, but clearly localized and with low population densities. BirdLife International puts population in band 2500–9999 mature individuals, equating to 3750–14,999 (or c. 3500–15,000) individuals in total within range extent of 46,400 km². Primary threat throughout range is logging of lowland and hill forests. In recent decades conversion of lowland forest to oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plantations has been intense in both New Britain and Latangai (New Ireland); on former island, nearly 20% of habitat suitable for this hawk was cleared in 15 years from early 1990s, and there are no signs that this rate of loss is slowing (12 Buchanan, G.M., Butchart, S.H.M., Dutson, G.C.L., Pilgrim, J.D., Steininger, M.K., Bishop, K.D. and Mayaux, P. (2008). Using remote sensing to inform conservation status assessment: estimates of recent deforestation rates on New Britain and the impacts upon endemic birds. Biological Conservation. 141(1): 56–66. Close ). In addition, mining could soon become a threat, as two exploration licenses (covering 1696 km²) were granted in central and eastern New Britain in 2012, and all forests in Bismarck Archipelago are at risk from mining interests; unlike logging and the planting of oil palms, generally restricted to lowland areas, mining operations, though unlikely to affect large areas of forest in short term, can have adverse impact in montane areas and could threaten important upland forest refugia in the future. Proposed conservation measures for this species include, among others, surveys on New Britain to investigate its status in logged forest, its altitudinal range, and its abundance at different elevations; surveys in Latangai (New Ireland); employing of local hunters to find nests, and intensive observation of these nests; mapping of remaining forest, logging concessions, oil palm plantations and areas of proposed expansion; and charting of existing and proposed mining operations. The monitoring of trends in forest loss should continue. Most importantly, there is an urgent need for establishment of a viable and effective conservation program within the region.