African goshawk

The African goshawk is a captivating bird of prey native to Africa. It belongs to the Accipiter genus in the Accipitridae family. Medium to large in size, these birds are immediately identifiable by their striking grey upperparts and rufous (reddish-brown) markings on their underparts. Males typically exhibit darker grey plumage compared to females, while juveniles display a brown coloration with prominent markings. Their bill is black, the cere (the area at the base of the bill) is greenish-grey, their eyes are yellow, and their legs and feet share the same yellow hue.

One of the distinct features of the African goshawk is its unique clicking call, resembling the sound of two stones being knocked together. They make this call every 2-3 seconds, particularly during display flights. These birds flourish in diverse habitats, including forests, woodlands, riverine areas, plantations, and even gardens. Their range extends broadly, from South Africa to Ethiopia.

African goshawks are adept ambush hunters, preying on birds, mammals, and lizards, and they exhibit notable territorial behavior. Their courtship is characterized by impressive undulated flights accompanied by loud calls. Females primarily handle nesting duties, constructing nests from sticks and foliage on branches typically situated away from the tree trunk. They generally lay 1-3 eggs, and both parents actively care for the chicks until they are ready to fledge, which occurs around 30-35 days old.

Despite their hunting prowess, African goshawks face threats from other birds such as the black sparrowhawk, tawny eagle, Cape eagle-owl, lanner falcon, and peregrine falcon. Taxonomically, the African goshawk is closely related to the Red-chested goshawk and is divided into three recognized subspecies that inhabit different regions of Africa.