Eastern chanting goshawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eastern chanting goshawk |
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| Awash National Park, Ethiopia | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Melierax |
| Species: |
M. poliopterus
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| Binomial name | |
| Melierax poliopterus Cabanis, 1868
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The eastern chanting goshawk (Melierax poliopterus) is a cool bird of prey that lives in East Africa. You might also hear it called the pale chanting goshawk or the Somali chanting goshawk.
About This Bird
Scientists group animals together based on their features. The eastern chanting goshawk is a type of bird of prey, which means it hunts other animals for food. For a long time, people thought it was just a type of pale chanting goshawk. But after looking closely at its size, color, and where it lives, scientists decided it was special enough to be its own species!
What Does It Look Like?
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This bird is about 49 to 55 centimeters long. That's like a bit less than two rulers put end-to-end! Its wings can spread out to about 96 to 110 centimeters wide. Female goshawks are usually a bit bigger than the males.
Adult eastern chanting goshawks have grey heads, necks, and chests. Their upper bodies are also grey. Their bellies have thin grey and white stripes. When they fly, you might see their white bellies and grey wings with dark tips. Their legs are a bright orange-red!
Young goshawks look a bit different. They are dull brown on top with a light stripe above their eyes. Their undersides are white with brown streaks. As they grow up, they get their adult colors.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the eastern chanting goshawk in parts of southern Ethiopia, Djibouti, western Somalia, eastern Kenya, northeastern Tanzania, and nearby Uganda. They like to live in dry areas like semi-deserts, bushy lands, and grassy woodlands. You might spot them up to 2,000 meters high in these places.
How Does It Behave?
Eastern chanting goshawks are often seen in groups, sometimes with as many as 16 birds! They like to perch on top of mountains or rocky spots. When they fly, their wingbeats are smooth and shallow. They can also glide with their wings held flat or slightly curved.
These birds are known for their calls, which sound like a beautiful song! You might hear a "rhee-opee-opee-opee" or a "kleee-yeu." During nesting season, they make a repeating sound like "pereu-pereu-pereu-repee-repee-repee-repee..." This is why they are called "chanting" goshawks!
What do they eat? They hunt large insects like beetles, small to medium-sized birds (like doves), and small rodents. But their favorite food is lizards! They often swoop down from a high perch to snatch lizards off the ground. Sometimes, they will even eat dead animals they find.
 | Kyle Baker |
 | Joseph Yoakum |
 | Laura Wheeler Waring |
 | Henry Ossawa Tanner |
