Africa Wild Bird Book

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159. Shikra (formerly known as Little Banded Goshawk) Accipiter badius (Gebande Sperwer)
ORDER ACCIPITRIFORMES. Family: Accipitridae

Description
The Shikra is a small classic sparrowhawk (26–30 cm long) and has short rounded wings and a narrow and somewhat long tail. Rather large head and plump body distinctive, as well as pale dove-grey colour, faint barring below and obvious pale yellow cere. At close range red eye conspicuous. Yellow legs.
Adults are whitish on the underside with fine rufous bars while the upperparts are grey. The lower belly is less barred and the thighs are whitish. The mesial stripe on the throat is dark but narrow. When seen from above the tail bands are faintly marked on the lateral tail feathers. The central tail feathers are unbanded and only have a dark terminal band. Sexes similar.
Males have a red iris. In flight the male seen from below shows a light wing lining (underwing coverts) and has blackish wing tips.
Females have a less red (yellowish orange) iris and browner upperparts apart from heavier barring on the underparts. The females are slightly larger.
Juveniles have dark brown upperparts; white below, dark streaks and spots on the upper breast and the wing is narrowly barred while the tail has dark but narrow bands. A post juvenile transitional plumage is found with very strong barring on the contour feathers of the underside. Eyes yellow.
Similar species: Distinctive features separating it from slightly smaller Little Spar­rowhawk are the bright red or deep orange (not yellow) eyes and all-grey central tailfeathers, lacking central white eye spots and narrow white rump. The 4 light grey tail bars are difficult to see unless in flight.

Distribution
The Shikra has a large range, extending throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, India, and central and south-east Asia. In southern Africa, it is scarce to common in the northern half of the region, including northern Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa.



Habitat
It can occur in a variety of woodland types, ranging from the open Kalahari to moist, closed-canopy broad-leaved woodland; it may also occupy gardens, parks and plantations.

Diet
Mainly lizards (unique among the accipiters); also insects, small birds, bats, rodents and frogs. An aggressive hunter, the Shikra mainly hunts from a perch, making a short dash through the branches to snatch prey from tree trunks, foliage or the ground. This forceful, surprise attack is usually sufficient to catch the lizards and small birds, although on rare occasions it may engage in aerial pursuits.

Breeding
Monogamous, territorial solitary nester, performing a courtship display in which the breeding pair chase each other through the trees. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a saucer-shaped platform of twigs, with an interior cup lined with bark chips. It is typically placed in the fork of a large branch. Egg-laying season is from August-February, peaking from September-November. 1-4 eggs are laid, which are mainly incubated by the female for about 28-29 days, while the male feeds her at the nest. He may occasionally take over the incubating role so that the female can go and forage. For the first two weeks or so of the chicks' lives they are cared for by the female, who feeds herself and her young with food provided by the male; after this period the female joins the male hunting. The chicks start exploring the nest tree at about 22 days old, fledging after another 10 days and becoming independent 30-40 days later. They tend to remain in their parent's territory for up to a year after fledging.

Call
Male: high-pitched keewik-keewik-keewik; female: soft kee-uuu. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common to scarce resident, with local movements. Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

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159. Shikra Accipiter badius

© BluTuna

© Dewi
Kruger National Park

© Duke

© Duke
Kruger National Park, Crooks Corner

© Flutterby
Kruger National Park, Shingwedzi area

© Dewi
Kruger National Park, Shingwedzi

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/159.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left
Birds of Botswana
A. Kemp, Meg Kemp. Sasol Birds of Prey of Africa and Its Islands
http://www.globalraptors.org/grin/Speci ... pecID=8121
http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-shikra.html

[Flutterby]

157. Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus (Kleinsperwer)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

© Flutterby
Kruger National Park

Description
23-28 cm. Tiny plump accipiter with short pointed wing-tips, short squared tail, tiny bill and long legs. Grey upperparts and white bar on the rump; diagnostic white spots on the upperside of its central tail featherson. The eye and cere are yellow, the beak black, and the legs and feet are yellow.
The male has dark grey upperparts, a white throat, and white underparts with fine reddish-brown barring.
The female is larger and dark brown above, with broader brown bars below.
The juvenile is browner than the adults, lacks the white rump, and has large, round spots on the underparts, and a slightly paler cere.
Similar species: Smaller than African Goshawk and it also has a white rump and a yellow, not grey, cere. The adult male African Goshawk shares the Little Sparrowhawk’s white tail spots, but lacks the latter’s pale rump. The small size of Little Sparrowhawk is distinctive and only male Shikra approaches it in size. Adult is distinguished from Shikra by its white rump and the two white spots on the uppertail. Shikra has orange eyes. Little Sparrowhawk is also dumpier and shorter-tailed in appearance than the other species in this group.

Identification Hints by Dewi

© 100ponder

1. Streaking on throat.
2. Yellow cere.
3. Yellow eye & eye ring.
4. White spots on upperparts.
5. Tail spots.
6. Thin legs.
7. Red on flanks.

Distribution
Occurs from Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya south through Tanzania, southern DRC, Angola and Zambia to South Africa. Here it is scarce to uncommon in the northern half of Namibia. northern and south-eastern Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and eastern and north-eastern parts of South Africa.



Habitat
Frequents forests, woodland, savanna and has adapted to exotic plantations. Secretive.

Diet
Mainly small birds up to dove size, also small rodents, bats, lizards and insects.

Breeding
Monogamous, territorial solitary nester, with the male performing a display in which he perches with his body held horizontally, before swaying his head from side to side. The nest is mainly built by the female, consisting of a small stick platform thinly lined with green leaves. It is typically placed in the main fork of a tree (especially alien species), although it may also use the old nest of a Shikra or Gabar Goshawk instead of building its own. Egg-laying season is from September-December, peaking during October. It lays 1-3 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 31-32 days, although the female tends to do 75-80% of the incubation; the male helps by feeding her regularly at the nest. The chicks are brooded by the female for most of the nestling period, while the male gives her food to give to them. Any other birds who wander in the vicinity of the nest are vigorously chased away, especially if the intruder as another raptor. The chicks leave the nest at about 25-27 days old, dispersing from their parents' territory up to a year later.

Call
Male: high-pitched tu-tu-tu-tu-tu during breeding season; female: soft kew-kew-kew.
Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common to scarce resident. Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

[Flutterby]

157. Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus

© Amoli
Garden in Johannesburg

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park

© Bush Brat
Kruger National Park

© 100ponder
Garden in KwaZulu-Natal

© 100ponder
Adult feeding on unidentified passerine

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/157.pdf
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left
ARKive
Oiseaux net - Épervier minule
Global Raptor Information Network

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155. Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk, Rufous-chested Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris (Rooiborssperwer)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk.jpg (76.87 KiB) Viewed 1730 times

Description
33-40 cm. Adult identified by uniformly rufous underparts, slate grey upperparts and lack of white rump.
Above slate; below plain rufous; head dark to below eye; no pale eyebrow; in flight wings and tail boldly barred black and white. Iris yellow; bill black; cere, legs and feet yellow.
Juveniles: Variable; mostly rufous below with dark streaks and sometimes pale edging to feathers, giving barred effect; throat white; iris pale grey to yellow.

Distribution
Occurs in isolated patches of sub-Saharan Africa, from Ethiopia, eastern DRC and Kenya to Uganda, eastern Zambia to South Africa. In southern Africa, it is scarce to fairly common in Zimbabwe's eastern highlands and adjacent Mozambique, and mesic areas of South Africa.



Habitat
It generally prefers afromontane forest or stands of alien trees in otherwise open habitats, such as fynbos or grassland; it is also adapted to living in suburbia, such as in Cape Town.

Diet
It almost exclusively eats small birds, typically hunting by soaring across the sky then stooping and pursuing its prey. It also can hunt from a concealed position in the tree canopy. In fynbos, it often uses stealthy tactics, flying very close to the ground under cover, before ambushing its prey.

Breeding
Monogamous, territorial solitary nester, performing a display in which the pair fly synchronously in an undulating flight. The nest is mainly built by the female in about 22-59 days, consisting of a saucer-shaped platform of sticks which is sometimes lined with lichen, bark, moss or pine needles. It is typically placed in the canopy of an alien tree, such as Eucalyptus or poplar (Populus), or it may alternatively use an indigenous tree such as a yellowwood (Podocarpus). Egg-laying season is from is from August to December, peaking from September-October. Eggs are white to greenish white, blotched with reddish brown. The female lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated almost solely by the female, while the male feeds her regularly at the nest. The chicks are brooded and cared for by the female for the first 25 days of their lives, while the male delivers plucked and decapitated birds for her and the young to feed on. The female then starts to help the male provision food for the chicks, who leave the nest at about 29-40 days old, becoming fully independent roughly 17-47 days later.

Call
Staccato kew-kew-kew-kew.

Status
Fairly common, localised resident.

[Toko]

155. Rufous-breasted Sparrowhawk Accipiter rufiventris

© okie
Juvenile, Worcester, Western Cape

© okie

© okie
Worcester, Western Cape

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Sabap2
Global Raptor Information Network

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158. Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus (Swartsperwer)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus.jpg (54.17 KiB) Viewed 1731 times

Description
This is the largest Accipiter of the region. (46-58 cm); upperparts and head black, with pale patch at nape (usually concealed); underparts white, flanks black with white blotching or barring; tail silver-grey below with 4-5 black bars; rarely all black below with white throat (no barring on black tail); legs yellow (not orange as in melanistic Ovambo Sparrowhawk which lacks white throat); in flight underwing white, barred black on remiges. Iris wine-red to amber; bill black; cere lime-yellow; legs and feet yellow.
Juvenile: Above dark brown; below buff or rufous, heavily marked with drop-shaped blackish streaks; iris greyish brown; legs yellow, naked (immature African Hawk Eagle has feathered legs and different flight pattern).
Chick: Downy white; iris grey; cere and legs pinkish.
Similar species: Adult and juvenile African and Ayres's Hawk-Eagles more heavily built, with feathered (not bare) legs.

Black Sparrowhawk.jpg (49.22 KiB) Viewed 1693 times

Distribution
Occurs in patches of sub-Saharan Africa; in southern Africa it is scarce to fairly common in Zimbabwe, northern and eastern Botswana, the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), central Mozambique and South Africa.



Habitat
It generally favours forest and well-developed woodland, such as Kloof and riverine forest, Acacia savanna and miombo (Brachystegia) woodland; it may also occupy grassland, fynbos, fringes of the Karoo, agricultural land and suburbia.

Movements and migrations
Largely sedentary, although some records outside of its normal distribution range suggests that it may be nomadic at times

Diet
It almost exclusively eats other birds (mainly doves and pigeons), doing most of its hunting under the tree canopy, often catching prey from a concealed perch. It may pursue a bird for over a kilometre before making the kill.

Breeding
Monogamous, territorial solitary nester, performing a courtship display in which it calls loudly while in an undulating flight. The nest is built by both sexes about 50-145 days before egg-laying, consisting of platform of sticks with an interior cup, which is thickly lined with green leaves, especially of Eucalyptus, Bushmans-tea (Catha edulis), Red-milkwood (Mimusops zeyheri), waterberries (Syzygium), Horn-pod tree (Diplorhynchus condylocarpon) and Musasa (Brachystegia spiciformis). It is typically placed in a fork of a tree branch in or just below the canopy. Egg-laying season is from March-December, peaking twice in the Western Cape, from April-May and from August-September, while elsewhere it peaks from July-September. The eggs are usually plain white to greenish white. It lays 1-4 eggs, which are mainly incubated by the female for about 36-38 days, while the male feeds her regularly at the nest. The chicks are brooded by the female for the first 22 days of their lives, after which she starts to join the male on hunting trips. The chicks start clambering around the nest tree at approximately 35-40 days old, leaving completely roughly 2-10 days later. They remain dependent on their parents for further 42-60 days, after which the adults leave the area, thus forcing their young to become fully independent.

Call
Usually silent, except when breeding; drawn out wheeeow; sharp musical kyip (♂); deeper chep (♀); may duet kyip-chep-kyip-chep; loud ringing alarm call, kow-kow-kow.

Status
Fairly common resident. Classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

[Toko]

158. Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus

© BluTuna
Austin Roberts Memorial Bird Sanctuary, Tshwane

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
Sabap2
Identification Black Sparrowhawks
Wikipedia
Interview with Ann Koeslag about the Black Sparrowhawk of the Cape Peninsula in South Africa
Newman's Birds of Southern Africa
Global Raptor Information Network
Sasol

[nan]

164. Western Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus (Europese Vleivalk)
Order: Accipitriformes. Family: Accipitridae

Western Marsh-Harrier.jpg (72.21 KiB) Viewed 1692 times

Description
Size 48-56 cm. The Western Marsh-harrier is 43 to 54 cm in length, and has a wingspan of 115 to 130 cm and a weight of 400 to 650 g in males and 500 to 800 g in females. It is a large, bulky harrier with fairly broad wings.
Male is easily identifiable by its brownish body contrasting with the grey on the wings and the unbarred grey tail. There are lighter yellowish streaks, which are particularly prominent on the breast. The head and shoulders are mostly pale greyish-yellowish. The upperside and underside of the wing look similar, though the brown is lighter on the underwing. Whether from the side or below, flying males appear characteristically three-colored brown-grey-black. The legs, feet, irides and the cere of the black bill are yellow.
Female is almost entirely dark brown with a creamy white cap and throat, white-edged forewings, and an unbarred brown tail. The female lacks the grey wing-patch and tail.
Juvenile resembles females, but usually have less yellow, particularly on the shoulders.
Similar species: Most records in South Africa are of females and immatures, which resemble young African Marsh-Harriers. They are, however, larger, darker, have a cream-coloured and well-defined patch on the head (and often shoulders), lack any barring in the plumage and do not have an orange base to the tail. The juvenile African Marsh-Harrier, in worn and abraded plumage, can also show a pale forehead and leading edge to the wings but has barred flight feathers and tail and a pale band across the breast.

Distribution
It breeds across much of Eurasia, heading south in the non-breeding season to sub-Saharan Africa, largely avoiding from the DRC and Angola. It is a rare visitor to southern Africa, with records of individuals (especially immature females) spread across Botswana, Zimbabwe, central Mozambique and northern South Africa. Western Marsh-Harriers are rare nonbreeding visitors to southern Africa. They are migrants from the Palearctic and occur mainly over well-vegetated wetlands in the northeastern parts of southern Africa.

Habitat
Confined to marshy areas and adjoining fields. It generally prefers perennial freshwater wetlands, although it may move into coastal and temporary inland wetlands, especially if they are dominated by reeds (Phragmites).

Diet
It mainly eats insects, supplemented with birds, mammals and reptiles, doing most of its hunting aerially. It prefers to hunt on days with strong wind, holding its wings in a V-shape with its head pointed down, so that it can spot prey.

Movements and migrations
Palearctic breeding migrant, arriving in October and departing by April. It is most easily seen in the north-east of southern Africa, in the period from late November to late February.

Breeding
During the breeding season, pairs form which may last for a number of seasons. The spectacular courtship display involves the male flying in circles at a great height over the breeding area before falling close to the ground, performing elaborate sequences of tumbles. Occasionally the female may join him, and the pair lock talons and tumble through the air together. As the season progresses the male may be seen dropping food into the female's talons in mid-air. The nest, which may measure up to 80 cm in diameter, is constructed on the ground with grass, reeds and sticks by the female. There are between three and eight eggs in a normal clutch. The eggs are oval in shape and white in colour, with a bluish or greenish tinge when recently laid. Eggs are laid from late April. The eggs are incubated for 31–38 days and the young birds fledge after 35–40 days. Both parents contribute to feeding the chicks.

Call
Silent in the region.

Status
Uncommon summer visitor.

[nan]

164. Western Marsh-Harrier Circus aeruginosus




Switzerland


Female, Switzerland


Switzerland

Links:
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/164.pdf
Sabap2: http://sabap2.adu.org.za/spp_summary.ph ... &section=3
Birds of Botswana
Global Raptor Information Network
Oiseaux net: http://www.oiseaux-birds.com/card-weste ... rrier.html
David A. Christie, James Ferguson-Lees. Raptors of the World
Simmons, R. 2000. Harriers: skydancing through time. Africa - Birds & Birding 5(5):36-43.