Gabar goshawk
Gabar goshawk | |
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Adult in Tanzania | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Accipitriformes |
Family: | Accipitridae |
Genus: | Micronisus G.R. Gray, 1840 |
Species: | M. gabar
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Binomial name | |
Micronisus gabar (
Daudin , 1800) | |
Subspecies[2] | |
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Synonyms | |
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The gabar goshawk (Micronisus gabar) is a small species of African and Arabian bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
Description
The gabar goshawk is
Distribution and subspecies
The gabar goshawk is found in sub-Saharan Africa, extending to Arabian Peninsula.[4] These subspecies are currently recognised:[5]
- M. g. aequatorius: highlands of Ethiopia to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and northern Mozambique
- M. g. gabar: southern Angola to Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa
- M. g. niger: Senegambia to Sudan, northern Ethiopia and southwestern Arabia
Habitat
The gabar goshawk occurs in open woodland, especially dry
Biology
The gabar goshawk is usually considered to be sedentary, but immature birds are somewhat nomadic and some small migratory movements have been recorded in parts of its range. It is most frequently observed alone, but pairs are also common, particularly during the breeding season, when the male is often observed pursuing the female through trees, or calling from his perch. The small platform nest is typically constructed using thin twigs and positioned in a vertical fork in the crown of a thorny tree, such as an acacia. One notable aspect of their nest construction is that the birds collect spider webs including the live spiders, the spiders spin new webs which may help camouflage the nest, and the spiders may consume arthropods that would parasitize the chicks.[3]
The eggs are laid from July to December, peaking in September to November. The normal clutch is two eggs, but up to four may be laid, and these are mainly incubated by the female for about 33–38 days. Once hatched, the chicks are brooded by the female for the first 19–21 days of their lives, while the male brings her food to feed to them. They leave the nest around 35–36 days old, becoming fully independent about one month later.[6]
Small birds are the major part of the gabar goshawk's diet, with small mammals, reptiles, and insects also taken on occasion. The prey is typically flushed from trees and caught following a persistent and energetic pursuit. The gabar goshawk sometimes hunts from the perch, swooping down to catch prey off the ground or in flight. They have also been recorded attacking the nests of colonial birds such as weavers by clawing their way destructively through the nest top to snatch the chicks from the nest.[3]
Known predators of the gabar goshawk include tawny eagles, Wahlberg's eagles, and Ayres's hawk-eagles.[6]
References
- . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
- ^ Gill F, D Donsker & P Rasmussen (Eds). 2020. IOC World Bird List (v10.2). doi : 10.14344/IOC.ML.10.2.
- ^ a b c "Gabar goshawk (Melierax gabar)". Wildscreen. Archived from the original on 2016-10-24. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b "Gabar Goshawk Melierax gabar". Oiseaux-birds. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar (Daudin, 1800)". Avibase. Denis Lepage. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ a b c "Melierax gabar (Gabar goshawk)". Iziko Museums of South Africa. Archived from the original on 17 February 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
External links
- Gabar Goshawk - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds