Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar Scientific name definitions

28–36 cm; male 90–173 g (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), female 167–240 g (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ); wingspan 56–66 cm (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Female larger than male, e.g. has wing 186–215 mm (versus 183–204 mm in male) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ) and up to 90% larger by mass (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). White rump prominent in adult and juvenile of normal phase . Melanistic morph (from hatching, 6·5–25% of population in different areas, commonest where rainfall high) (3 Allan, D. G. (1997). Field identification of African Accipiter species and similar-looking hawks. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 4(2):74–82. Close ), with pale grey bars on flight feathers and tail (black and white below); lacks white rump. Bare parts: red-brown to dark red iris (initially grey, then yellowish and finally orange in juvenile), orange cere (dark grey, turning yellow in juvenile), and legs bright red, spotted black in dark morph (pale orange in juvenile) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ). Resembles small to medium-sized Accipiter species in appearance and habits, but penetrates deeper into arid country than any Accipiter (3 Allan, D. G. (1997). Field identification of African Accipiter species and similar-looking hawks. Bulletin of the African Bird Club 4(2):74–82. Close ). All phases and morphs similar to Accipiter ovampensis, but latter barred up to throat, with only slight white rump, and legs orange, not red. A. badius has plain grey upperparts, lacks grey on throat and has bright red eye, with yellow cere and legs, while juvenile has darker brown head and upperparts, no streaking on head and lacks white on uppertail-coverts. Melierax metabates is very similarly plumaged, but is much larger than present species and has very long legs. Melanistic Accipiter melanoleucus has white throat, unbarred tail, yellow cere and legs, and is much larger. Grey phase of present species might even be confused with Kaupifalco monogrammicus, but latter is stockier, with white throat marked by mesial stripe and has black tail with single white bar. Juvenile brown, with streaks on upper breast and bars on lower breast, rump boldly white, no white markings on uppertail, faint eyebrow and head streaked. Dark-morph juvenile is largely brownish black. Races separated on size and greyness of plumage.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Mainly open thorn savanna (e.g. Acacia–Combretum woodland and Acacia–Commiphora thornbush) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), extending to semi-arid steppe along watercourses, cultivated areas provided there are tall trees (5 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ), and into deciduous broadleaved woodland, including Brachystegia (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), and even Juniperus woodland in Arabia (6 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). In L Chad basin favours seasonally flooded grassland and other floodplain habitats for hunting (7 Buij, R. and Croes, B.M. (2013). Raptor habitat use in the Lake Chad Basin: insights into the effect of flood-plain transformation on Afrotropical and Palearctic raptors. Bird Conservation International. 23(2): 199-213. Close ). Recorded to 2000 m in Tanzania (8 Grimshaw, J. M. (1995). Birds of prey and owls of the western and northern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Scopus 19(1): 27–37. Close ), Uganda (5 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ) and Yemen (6 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ), with single record from 2700 m on Mt Kilimanjaro (8 Grimshaw, J. M. (1995). Birds of prey and owls of the western and northern slopes of Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Scopus 19(1): 27–37. Close ).

Resident in many areas, but fluctuations in numbers suggest some local movements S in dry season in W Africa (although said to be present year-round between 14º N and 17º N in this region, there is notable influx at these latitudes during local wet season in Jun–Oct) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ). Seems to be non-breeding visitor during dry season in Nov–May to Gambia and Ivory Coast (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ). Regular migration N through Taru Desert, Kenya, in Jan–Mar, overflying residents.

Mainly small birds of 10–80 g, up to 352 g young Helmeted Guineafowl (Numida meleagris) (9 Middleton, N.P. and Hartley, R.R. (2003). Hunting behaviour in a trained Gabar Goshawk with evasive tactics of prey. Honeyguide. 49(2): 168-173. Close ), francolins or coucals (Centropus) (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); also small reptiles, mammals and some insects; recorded hunting a bat (10 Mikula, P. and Hromada, M. (2015). An observation of successful bat predation by Gabar Goshawk Micronisus gabar at Ndoto Mountains, Kenya. Scopus. 35: 51–52. Close ). A falconer’s bird used active pursuit, as well as still-hunting and nest robbing to obtain prey, and was recorded taking 184 items—181 birds of 29 species and three mammals of two species (Elephantulus myurus and Paraxerus cepapi)—with a mean prey size of 68·7 g, with the most frequently taken species being Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii; 29·3%) followed by cisticolas (31·4%) and Common Buttonquail (Turnix sylvaticus; 13%), while hunting efficiency increased from 0·2 kills/hunt as a juvenile, to 1·08 kills/hunt and 1·45 kills/hunt in subsequent years, and daily food intake was 35·5 g or 18·3% of body weight (9 Middleton, N.P. and Hartley, R.R. (2003). Hunting behaviour in a trained Gabar Goshawk with evasive tactics of prey. Honeyguide. 49(2): 168-173. Close ). Hunts from within cover, often in pairs, sometimes in company of Red-necked Falcon (Falco chicquera), making fast dashes after prey and continuing into dense cover on foot. May also make low prospecting flights, and often raids or tears into birds nests  (e.g. weavers Ploceus) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ) to devour contents.

Mainly silent, except in display (where useful for identification as quite different from voice of any morphologically similar Accipiter), when gives reedy piping “kew-he, kew-he, kew-heee” from perch or repeated, chanting “sweee-pee-pee-pee-pee”, or “twee-twit-twee-twee-twit”, all of which are somewhat reminiscent of Diederik Cuckoo (Chrysococcyx caprius) or even Senegal Thick-knee (Burhinus senegalensis) (11 Borrow, N., and R. Demey (2001). Birds of Western Africa. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); near nest, both sexes gives rapidly repeated “twi-twi-twi-twi-twi”, while begging young give feeble piping calls (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ).

Laying usually at end of dry season: Mar–Jun in W & NE Africa (but sometimes until Aug in Ethiopia) (12 Ash, J. S., and J. Atkins (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ); Feb–Nov (5 Carswell, M., D. Pomeroy, J. Reynolds, and H. Tushabe (2005). The Bird Atlas of Uganda. British Ornithologists’ Club and British Ornithologists' Union, Oxford, UK. Close ), with two peaks, in E Africa; Aug–Mar in S Africa (peak Sept–Nov), occasionally as early as Jul in Zambia (13 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ); one nest in Arabia had eggs in Mar (14 Castell, P., J. Coburn, B. Pleasance, T. Quittenden, and M. Shobrak (2002). Further notes on the breeding biology of some birds in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 24:33–37. Close ). One marked pair known to have bred twice in one year. Performs aerial (circling) and calling displays. Builds (mainly female) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ) small stick nest (35 cm wide by 10–15 cm) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ) in crown of an indigenous, often thorny tree (especially Acacia (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), but also Brachystegia spiciformis (15 Barry, K.J. (2001). Grey and melanistic chicks of the Gabar Goshawk together in the same nest. Honeyguide. 47(1): 95. Close ) and once Tamarinda indicus in Arabia) (14 Castell, P., J. Coburn, B. Pleasance, T. Quittenden, and M. Shobrak (2002). Further notes on the breeding biology of some birds in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 24:33–37. Close ), not lined with green leaves or bark like Accipiter species, instead using clods of earth, cobwebs (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), finer twigs, rootlets, paper, grasses and tissue paper (14 Castell, P., J. Coburn, B. Pleasance, T. Quittenden, and M. Shobrak (2002). Further notes on the breeding biology of some birds in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 24:33–37. Close ); 3–25 m above ground (mainly at 5–15 m) (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ). Nest usually and characteristically occupied by and coated with web of colonial spider Stegodyphus, probably brought intentionally by hawk for concealment of nest. Usually two bluish-white or white eggs (1–4), size 33·5–45 mm × 29–34·2 mm, laid at 3–4-day intervals (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ); incubation 33–35 days, probably only by female, provisioned by male (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ); young hatch at intervals of 2–4 days (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), chicks have first white down (grey in melanistic morph), more woolly like Accipiter, rather than hairy than Melierax (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ), second coat off-white, buff on neck-sides and throat, with grey cere, black bill, yellow legs and feet, and blue irides (14 Castell, P., J. Coburn, B. Pleasance, T. Quittenden, and M. Shobrak (2002). Further notes on the breeding biology of some birds in Saudi Arabia. Sandgrouse 24:33–37. Close ); fledging 30–35 days. Grey and melanistic chicks can occur in the same, even if both adults are grey morphs (15 Barry, K.J. (2001). Grey and melanistic chicks of the Gabar Goshawk together in the same nest. Honeyguide. 47(1): 95. Close ). Breeding success not well known, but considered to be probably more than one young per pair per year (1 Brown, L. H., E. K. Urban, and K. Newman (1982). The Birds of Africa. Volume 1. Academic Press, London, UK and New York, USA. Close ).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). CITES II. Common and widespread through a diverse range of savanna and woodland habitats, although rarely nests in plantations of exotic trees (including pines in South Africa) (16 Anderson, M.D. (2000). Raptor conservation in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Ostrich. 71(1-2): 25-32. Close ). Only comparatively recently (Mar 1992) recorded for first time in Guinea-Bissau (17 Rodwell, S. P. (1996). Notes on the distribution and abundance of birds observed in Guinea-Bissau, 21 February to 3 April 1992. Malimbus 18(1):25–43. Close ) and just one unconfirmed record from Liberia (18 Gatter, W. (1997). Birds of Liberia. Pica Press, Aula-Verlag and Yale University Press, Robertsbridge, UK; Wiesbaden, Germany; and New Haven, CT, USA. Close ). Perhaps as many as 1000 pairs in Arabia (6 Jennings, M. C. (2010). Atlas of the Breeding Birds of Arabia. Fauna of Arabia 25. King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, Saudi Wildlife Commission and Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Frankfurt, Germany. Close ). Nests 4·3–5·8 km apart (Namibia). Roadside counts in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger in 1969–1973 and again in 2003–2004 revealed that outside protected areas numbers had declined from 2·1 (± 0·2) birds per 100 km to 1·1 (± 0·2) birds, while in reserves numbers actually increased from 2·8 (± 0·4) to three (± 0·5) birds per 100 km (19 Thiollay, J.-M. (2006). The decline of raptors in West Africa: long-term assessment and the role of protected areas. Ibis. 148(2): 240–254. Close ). Overall considered scarce in Zambia, where rare in middle Zambezi Valley (13 Dowsett, R. J., D. R. Aspinwall, and F. Dowsett-Lemaire (2008). The Birds of Zambia. Tauraco Press & Aves, Liège, Belgium. Close ). Bold, even colonizing urban areas, e.g. Gabarone (Botswana) (2 Ferguson-Lees, J., and D. A. Christie (2001). Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, UK. Close ), and too small to be serious threat to poultry; however, in S Africa some direct persecution has been recorded and the species is also sometimes recorded impaled on fences, as roadkill or drowned in steep-banked farm reservoirs (16 Anderson, M.D. (2000). Raptor conservation in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. Ostrich. 71(1-2): 25-32. Close ). Not known to be affected by pesticides.