THESE birds are formerly known as the gymnogene. Locally a common resident, found over most of southern Africa, but mainly absent from the dry west. They like forests, dense woodland, wooded kloofs and are becoming more common in well wooded suburbs. Their diet is 40 per cent reptiles and amphibians, 33 per cent birds and nestlings, 15 per cent small mammals, 11 per cent birds eggs and when available, palm husks.
Usually solitary and unobtrusive when perched. Usually seen flying over forests, their flight being slow and buoyant.
In courtship the female rolls over in the air and touches her talons with the males.
Harrier hawks hunt by soaring, watching from a perch and walking on the ground. They rob the nests of weavers, swallows and swifts. Their tarsal joints bend forward, backwards and sideways allowing it to reach into holes and the small head can extract prey from narrow crevices. Although usually silent their call is a plaintive whistling su – eeee – oo and near their nest a rapid chattering ki – ki – ki – ki.
Breeding takes place from June to November. The nest is a stick platform lined with green sprigs in the canopy of a tree, bush or cliff ledge five to 25 metres above ground. Two heavily blotched buff or cream eggs are laid. Incubation is 35 days and they are nestlings for 45 to 55 days. Cainism sometimes occurs with the two chicks. The Afrikaans name is kaalwangvalk.
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