Gabar Goshawk
Micronisus gabar
A small, slender grayish hawk with a distinct hood and a white rump; resembles a miniature chanting-goshawk. A scarce dark (melanistic) form also occurs. In flight, note heavily barred underwings and tail. Pairs inhabit moist and arid savanna, where they terrorize small birds and other small vertebrates at waterholes. Distinctive piping repeated “peeii-peeii-peeii” and “teeui-teeui-teeui” are reminiscent of Water Thick-knee and different from other small hawks. Differs from other hawks as follows: Ovambo Sparrowhawk has a barred throat; Shikra has a white throat and red eye; Lizard Buzzard has a throat streak and distinctive tail banding; and chanting-goshawks are much larger.
Identification
The gabar goshawk is polymorphic and occurs in two distinct forms which fluctuate in relative abundance across the geographic range of the species. The more frequent, paler form has mostly grey upperparts with a conspicuous, white rump and white and grey barring on the chest, thighs and underwings, and a dark grey, barred tail. In contrast, the less frequent form, which accounts on average for approximately 25 percent of the overall population, is almost completely black. In both forms of adult the eyes are dark, and the legs are long and the cere is red. The cere and the legs are yellow in immatures and the plumage is generally browner, with the pale birds having untidier barring on the chest than the adult. The females are significantly larger than the males, the male's weigh 90 - 173g and the females 167 - 240g The body length is 28–36 cm and the wingspan 63 cm.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Micronisus gabar
- Authority
- (Daudin, 1800)
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Micronisus
Range and habitat
The gabar goshawk occurs in open woodland, especially dry Acacia savanna and broad-leaved woodland, with miombo (Brachystegia), cluster-leaf Terminalia, and mopane (Colosphermum mopane). In the more arid regions of southern Africa such as the Karoo and Namib Desert, it is generally restricted to tree-lined watercourses, but it may also move into cities and towns. The gabar goshawk is found in sub-Saharan Africa, extending to Arabian Peninsula. These subspecies are currently recognised:
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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