Welcome to this blog!
Welcome to the Accipiters of Southern Africa blog!
This site is dedicated to the birds of prey belonging to the Accipitridae family.
I hope that this blog will contribute both locally and internationally to increasing the awareness of birds in general, in particular the Accipiters and related species.
My vision for this site is to encourage anyone to participate in discussion and the reporting of sightings of Accipitridae (and related species) in Southern Africa.
What are the ‘Accipitridae’? To quote Wikipedia:
“The genus Accipiter is a group of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, mostly consisting of birds known as Goshawks and Sparrowhawks.
These birds are slender with short broad rounded wings and a long tail which helps them manoeuvre in flight. They have long legs and long sharp talons used to kill their prey and a sharp hooked bill used in feeding. Females tend to be larger in size than males.
They often ambush their prey, capturing it after a short chase. They mainly eat small birds and mammals.
The typical flight pattern is a series of flaps followed by a short glide. They are commonly found in wooded or shrubby areas.”
Bearing relevance to the goshawks and sparrowhawks of Southern Africa, I quote Warwick Tarboton, in the book Southern African Birds of Prey, (1989):
“Of the nine species in this group, six are members of the Accipiter genus and three belong to the somewhat different chanting goshawk group. The accipiters are known in falconry as ’shortwings’ and are much sought after for this sport because of their rapaciousness. They have long legs and toes and needle-sharp talons, and their short, rounded wings and long tails give them manoeuvrability in pursuing prey. Most hunt other birds, chasing and catching them on the wing. Accipiters are retiring and not easily observed. Females are much larger than males. By contrast, the chanting goshawks are not secretive and often perch conspicuously along roadsides. They have a similar build to the largest accipiters but are lethargic hunters, swooping on to rodents, small birds and reptiles on the ground”
PLEASE REPORT ANY SIGHTINGS OF SPARROWHAWKS, GOSHAWKS AND RELATED BIRDS OF PREY (E.G BAT HAWKS, CUCKOO HAWKS.) Try to include the species, location and information regarding the sighting. This site was also included on the Southern African Bird Atlas Project 2 website (SABAP-2) - a major project and a great tool for research in Southern African bird species distributions.
This site is by no means intended as an expert ornithological site. It is intended for any amateur birdwatcher’s enjoyment.
Report your sighting or point of discussion by adding a comment to the ’sightings category.’
(TO VIEW THE SELECTION OF CATEGORIES ON THIS SITE, CLICK ON THR DROP-DOWN MENU UNDER TOPICS)
Enjoy the site!
Hanno Pretorius
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