African Goshawk
Aerospiza tachiro
A widespread medium-sized African hawk with yellow eyes and legs. Highly variable, both by age, sex, and geographically. Gray, gray-brown, or brown on the back and head, with a white throat. The underparts vary from solidly red to barred red to barred brown. Often shows large white spots on top of the black tail. In a large swath of the range in East and Central Africa, there is an all-dark morph. Breeds in rainforest, monsoon forest, riverine forest, thickets, woodland, and exotic plantations, but it has been known to wander widely into more open country. During the breeding season it will soar high in the sky uttering a short sharp “chwik” call in aerial display; the call is given every 2–3 seconds for over a minute at a time. Similarly-plumaged Little Sparrowhawk is much smaller. Visually very similar to Chestnut-flanked Sparrowhawk in areas where they overlap, but African Goshawk is much larger and far more common. Can also be confused with Long-tailed Hawk, but African Goshawk has a shorter tail, darker upperparts, and a clean white throat.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Aerospiza tachiro
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Aerospiza
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
African Citril
Crithagra citrinelloides
A small seedeater with a sharp bill and a forked tail. The upperparts are olive-green and the underparts yellow. Males have a black face and plain yellow underparts. Females have a plain face, but are heavily streaked below. Found at middle and high elevations in a variety of habitats including forest edge, gardens, cultivation, moist scrub, and woodland. Usually in small flocks. Similar to Southern Citril, but there is virtually no overlap in range, and the male is easily separated by its black face. The song is a fast jumble of high-pitched twitters and whistles.
Lavender Waxbill
Glaucestrilda caerulescens
A tiny gray finch with a red tail and rump and a purplish bill. Male is bright silvery-gray all over with a pale throat and chest. Female is similar, but has darker underparts. Sometimes joins flocks with other small finches. Inhabits thickets in open areas such as hillsides and field edges. Call is a high, thin “see”, often given in series. Native to western Africa; introduced to Hawaii island, where it inhabits brushy and grassy areas.
Cinnamon Flycatcher
Pyrrhomyias cinnamomeus
Bright rufous flycatcher of the Andean subtropical zone. Fairly small size, entirely cinnamon underparts, brown back, and bright rufous wing patch render this species distinctive. Usually found in pairs, perched conspicuously at the edge of the cloud forest. Sexes alike. Voice is also a good way to detect this species: listen for the sputtering, slightly descending trill. The subspecies found in Venezuela and northern Colombia is even brighter cinnamon than its southern counterparts, especially on the back and wings.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.