Kloof Conservancy
THIS is a very attractive and usually very quiet raptor that often can be spotted in well wooded gardens. It belongs to the Accipitridae family which consists of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills. The family includes vultures, kites, hawks, eagles, buzzards and harriers.
Description
This is a medium-sized hawk with gray-brown upperparts, and brown-barred underparts. The eyes are yellow as are the legs. Males are significantly smaller (38 cm and average 220 g) when compared to females which can reach 45cm and weigh up to 510g.
To the untrained eye they can easily be confused with the smaller Little Sparrowhawk but look at their cere (the bit just above the beak – the nostrils for simplicity!) which is green/grey in the African Goshawk while that of the Little Sparrowhawk is yellow.
When it is in flight you will be able to note the white rump and flight feathers and banded tail.
Distribution
This bird is fairly common in most forested areas of sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa it is common on the eastern parts of the country from the Western Cape through to Kruger Park in Mpumalanga and Limpopo provinces. They are a resident species so can be seen throughout the year.
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Habitat
This is a forest species relying heavily on tall forest trees but can often also be found in well wooded gardens next to forests. They have been spotted hunting at bird baths in gardens in Kloof! They have also become accustomed to hunting in alien tree plantations.
Feeding
This species preys mainly on other birds, taking largish birds such as francolins and occasionally even domestic chickens.
It will feed opportunistically on lizards, bats, squirrels and mice. They usually dash from a perch to hunt their prey close to the ground in a short sharp chase.
Breeding
This is a monogamous species that pairs for life. They have an interesting and noisy courtship display which involves the pair calling loudly and flying together in an undulating flight while calling loudly.
Most of the nest building is done by the female which usually chooses a spot on a branch away from the main trunk. One to three eggs are laid, and the incubation is done mainly by the female.
Predators and threats
It is quite an aggressive bird and will easily defend itself from other raptor species. The biggest threat to this species is the use of pesticides and in most of South Africa the loss of forest habitat for human developments.
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Local information
African Goshawks are fairly common in the Highway area, but you need to walk very observantly in riverine areas with tall trees. They are very silent in-flight making spotting them more difficult. They are not shy of humans so with a bit of patience you should spot them in places like Everton Gorge and Krantzkloof Nature Reserve particularly along Longshadow Trail and parts of the Molweni Trail.
Interesting facts
Although mostly quiet, the African Goshawk makes its presence known early in the morning when it flies out of the forest area and high above the ground. It emits a very loud clicking noise (like two stones being hit against each other) at regular intervals of about 2 to 3 seconds.
The name Goshawk originates from the Old English for “goose-hawk”.
They are one of the preferred species for falconry and, in Mediaeval times, it was the raptor of choice of the nobility.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
