Chirping with Kloof Conservancy – Black Sparrowhawk

Kloof Conservancy
THE Black Sparrowhawk is one of the more fascinating raptors of our area as it is locally resident and has become accustomed to hunting in developed areas close to humans. It also has a very striking and handsome appearance.

Description
This species is quite a challenge to describe for the layman as it has a number of colour variations known as morphs. In most cases, they have predominantly black plumage with white breast feathers – these are known as white morphs. In our area, it is quite common to find black or dark morphs with predominantly black plumage and black chest feathers. Juveniles are commonly rufus in colour.

Males and females have very similar colouration, so it is difficult to tell them apart other than by assessing their weight. They average in height between 46cm and 48cm. The males weigh approximately 540g and the females are significantly heavier at about 900g.

In our area they can easily be identified as there are no similar raptor species in size and colouration.

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Distribution
They are found in most forested areas south of the Sahara and in South Africa they occur in the eastern half of the country, from the border with Zimbabwe and Mozambique down to the Western Cape

Habitat
Black Sparrowhawks are generally forest dwellers and are incredibly fast and skilled at making short sharp turns while flying under the forest canopy. They are well adapted to forests and have narrow tails and fly in short, rapid, bursting flaps that are followed by a glide.

Feeding
They feed predominantly on pigeons and doves but will also take Francolins and any bird up to the size of an Egyptian Goose. They have also been known to attack other raptors such as Goshawks. While they are predominantly forest hunters, there have been numerous sightings of them hunting in grasslands.

Breeding
Black Sparrowhawks are monogamous and tend to build their nests high up in tall trees, often in clumps of alien gum or pine trees. We are fortunate to still have many good indigenous forests, so they do utilise the local indigenous trees such as Macaranga and Forest Fever-berry.

Nests are generally a large collection of sticks that are lined with green leaves and are reused and refurbished over many years. They usually lay between one and four eggs, but it is rare to have more than two chicks in a nest.

Predators
They are generally not threatened by predators as they can defend themselves quite well from other species of bird.

Threats
They are listed as least concern, but they are persecuted in some areas by pigeon fanciers/racers as they do hunt primarily pigeons and doves. Deforestation for agriculture or housing developments is also a potential problem.

Local information
You will be able to spot them along our riverine forests. Listen out for their unmistakeable shrill calls and look up high in the canopy for nests that are usually built on a fork in the main trunk of a large tree. You will often glimpse them as they flash past you in a forest. Your best chance of a good look is when they have caught a prey and are on the ground and feeding. They will fly away if they spot you but, if you are quiet and patient, they will return to the prey.

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Interesting facts
The Black Sparrowhawk is the largest African member of the genus Accipiter. The word accipiter is described as “a bandage applied over the nose, resembling the claw of a hawk”.

Studies carried out over the past 10 years suggest that there has been a “migration” of the species, with numbers in the Mpumalanga area in north-eastern South Africa declining by as much as 50 per cent while the numbers in the Western Cape region have increased by 50 per cent. The population in KwaZulu-Natal appears to be stable.

While they are generally very good at defending themselves, there have been observations that their nesting sites are vulnerable to attack and occupation by the Egyptian Goose. The Egyptian Goose has traditionally built nests on the ground but, possibly as a means to avoid egg predation, there have been numerous incidents of them taking over raptor nests high up in trees.

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