Gabar goshawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Gabar goshawk |
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| Adult in Tanzania | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Micronisus
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| Species: |
gabar
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| Subspecies | |
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| Synonyms | |
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The gabar goshawk (Micronisus gabar) is a small bird of prey found in Africa and Arabia. It belongs to the Accipitridae family, which includes hawks, eagles, and kites. These birds are known for their sharp eyesight and hunting skills.
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What Does the Gabar Goshawk Look Like?
The gabar goshawk is special because it can look very different from other birds of its own kind. This is called being polymorphic. It comes in two main color forms.
The most common form has mostly grey feathers on its back. It has a bright white patch on its lower back, called a rump. Its chest, thighs, and underwings have white and grey stripes. Its tail is dark grey with stripes.
The other form is less common, making up about 25% of the population. These birds are almost completely black.
Both adult forms have dark eyes and long red legs. The skin around their beak, called the cere, is also red. Young gabar goshawks look a bit different. Their cere and legs are yellow. Their feathers are usually browner, and the pale young birds have messier stripes on their chests.
Female gabar goshawks are much bigger than males. Males weigh between 90 and 173 grams. Females are heavier, weighing from 167 to 240 grams. These birds are about 28–36 centimeters long. Their wings can spread out to about 63 centimeters wide.
Where Do Gabar Goshawks Live?
The gabar goshawk lives across sub-Saharan Africa and extends into the Arabian Peninsula. Within this large area, there are different groups of gabar goshawks. These groups are called subspecies. A subspecies is a group of animals that are part of the same species but have small differences, often because they live in different places.
Here are the recognized subspecies and where they are found:
- M. g. aequatorius: This group lives in the highlands of Ethiopia. They also live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, and northern Mozambique.
- M. g. gabar: You can find this group from southern Angola to Zambia, Mozambique, and South Africa.
- M. g. niger: This subspecies lives from Senegambia to Sudan, northern Ethiopia, and southwestern Arabia.
What Kind of Places Do They Call Home?
Gabar goshawks like to live in open woodlands. They especially prefer dry Acacia savannas. These are areas with scattered trees and grassy plains. They also live in woodlands with trees like miombo (Brachystegia), cluster-leaf Terminalia, and mopane (Colosphermum mopane).
In very dry parts of southern Africa, like the Karoo and Namib Desert, they usually stick to areas with trees along watercourses. However, these adaptable birds can also be found living in cities and towns!
Life Cycle and Habits
Gabar goshawks usually stay in one place for their whole lives. This is called being sedentary. However, young birds sometimes move around more. They are a bit nomadic, meaning they travel from place to place. Some small migrations have also been seen in certain areas.
These birds are often seen alone. But during the breeding season, you might see them in pairs. The male is often seen chasing the female through trees. He might also call out from his perch.
Nest Building and Reproduction
Gabar goshawks build small, flat nests. They use thin twigs to make their nests. They usually place them in a vertical fork of a thorny tree, like an acacia.
One amazing thing about their nests is that they collect spider webs! They even collect live spiders. These spiders then spin new webs around the nest. This might help to hide the nest from predators. The spiders may also eat insects that could harm the baby birds.
Female gabar goshawks lay their eggs from July to December. The busiest time for laying eggs is from September to November. They usually lay two eggs, but sometimes they can lay up to four. The female bird mainly sits on the eggs to keep them warm. This incubation period lasts about 33–38 days.
Once the chicks hatch, the female keeps them warm for the first 19–21 days. During this time, the male brings her food. She then feeds this food to the chicks. The young birds leave the nest when they are about 35–36 days old. They become fully independent about one month later.
What Do Gabar Goshawks Eat?
Small birds are the main food for gabar goshawks. They also sometimes eat small mammals, reptiles, and insects. They often find their prey by flushing it out of trees. Then, they chase it with a lot of energy until they catch it.
Gabar goshawks also hunt from a perch. They will swoop down to catch prey from the ground or even in mid-air. They have even been seen attacking the nests of birds like weavers. They use their claws to tear through the top of the nest to grab the chicks inside.
Who Hunts the Gabar Goshawk?
Even though they are skilled hunters, gabar goshawks can also become prey. Known predators of the gabar goshawk include tawny eagles, Wahlberg's eagles, and Ayres's hawk-eagles.
