Red-chested Goshawk (Accipiter toussenelii)

Closely related to A. tachiro and A. castanilius#R. Often considered conspecific with A. tachiro, but differs in size (at least 1), unbarred thighs (2), greater extent of rufous on underparts (2), and parapatric distribution in the E Lower Guinea forest belt (3); moreover, molecular evidence supports present arrangement#R. However, “apparent lack of display flight”, a character difference mentioned in HBW, mistaken, as flight display like that of A. tachiro observed repeatedly in Gabon in Jun and Jul 1999#R. Form canescens sometimes treated as race of A. tachiro, but morphologically is much closer to toussenelii#R. Form unduliventer usually treated as subspecies of A. tachiro, but has the unbarred thighs and more rufous underparts of present species; possibly merits status of separate species, as genetic divergence between it and other races is similar to that between tachiro and toussenelii#R. Races macroscelides and lopezi have been considered to form another full species. Proposed race croizati, founded on two specimens from SW Ethiopia, now judged to be synonym of unduliventer#R. Five subspecies recognized.