Alternative name: Ovampo Sparrowhawk
- Accipiter ovampensis
Identification
30–40 cm (11¾-15¾ in)
Adult
- Grey above
- White with brownish grey barring below
- Red eye
- Black bill and cere
- Orange-yellow legs and feet
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa:
Western Africa: The Gambia, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Malawi
Southern Africa: Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Borders of drier woodlands, savanna and exotic plantations with surrounding savanna.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds mainly on birds (up to the size of Red-eyed Dove). Prey is taken from a perch or from a soaring position.
Breeding
The nest is constructed mainly by the female.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Gibbon, G. 2002. Roberts' Multimedia Birds of Southern Africa: Version 3. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund. www.sabirding.co.za
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved July 2018)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Ovambo Sparrowhawk. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 March 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Ovambo_Sparrowhawk
