I took this shot last week, in Kruger Park, north of Olifants.
Can anyone help me with the ID?
Thanks,
Jefferson
Posted by David Graham on August 9, 2013 at 1:51 PM
hi, Jefferson,
my knee-jerk was..."another adult sharp-shinned hawk" ...then saw where you captured the image! Its red iris as well as all aspects of plumage:
(strongly banded remiges, streaked breast and banded belly, and pale reddish-tan bands on "thigh" ( actually lower leg) feathers) strongly suggest that it is a winter migrant of the european sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), but you caught this image south of that spcies' winter range; it's not expected in Africa much south of the equator. There are several other small accipiters of small to medium size and similar silhouette in North Africa and a bit South of the Sahel, but the plumage strongly brings me back to a european sparrowhawk that just decided to head further South than usual this winter! Another testimony to global clmate change?
I'd love to hear comments from our South African members, to whose opnions I would readily defer. I've seen A. nisus in europe and in migration along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia and have always been impressed with the ease with which they could pass for a good ol' Amerian sharp-shin!
Looking at the material I have, I was wondering if it could be the Accipter ovampensis. Look at this image, the three broad pale grey tail bars can be seem, as described in the Roberts Bird Guide.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Jefferson
Posted by David Graham on August 13, 2013 at 10:39 AM
Hi, Jefferson,
I think you've nailed it! I don't have Roberts, but in Amadon & Brown the description, C.E. Talbot Kelly's illustrations, and the range map argue strongly for the Ovampo sparrow-hawk, and the range map would exclude my first suggestion, the european sparrow-hawk. Wish I'd checked there first, but In my (weak) defense, the two species are amazingly similar in plumage characteristics! Your first image shows strong central para-rachis streaking over the crop and breast with pronounced horizontal barring across the abdomen and flanks, typically more pronounced in A. nisus the in A ovampensis. I've gotta wonder:...were some influential taxonomist of a lumping bent to re-evaluate these two, ostensibly separate species if they might not be designated subspecies of A. nisus. But for the nonce, barring some substantive argument from Cade or Dementiev, I'm strongly inclined to your conclusion.
Discussion
4 repliesI took this shot last week, in Kruger Park, north of Olifants.
Can anyone help me with the ID?
Thanks,
Jefferson
my knee-jerk was..."another adult sharp-shinned hawk" ...then saw where you captured the image! Its red iris as well as all aspects of plumage:
(strongly banded remiges, streaked breast and banded belly, and pale reddish-tan bands on "thigh" ( actually lower leg) feathers) strongly suggest that it is a winter migrant of the european sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus), but you caught this image south of that spcies' winter range; it's not expected in Africa much south of the equator. There are several other small accipiters of small to medium size and similar silhouette in North Africa and a bit South of the Sahel, but the plumage strongly brings me back to a european sparrowhawk that just decided to head further South than usual this winter! Another testimony to global clmate change?
I'd love to hear comments from our South African members, to whose opnions I would readily defer. I've seen A. nisus in europe and in migration along the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia and have always been impressed with the ease with which they could pass for a good ol' Amerian sharp-shin!
Dave Graham, Estelline, South Dakota
thanks for your reply.
Looking at the material I have, I was wondering if it could be the Accipter ovampensis. Look at this image, the three broad pale grey tail bars can be seem, as described in the Roberts Bird Guide.
What do you think?
Thanks,
Jefferson
I think you've nailed it! I don't have Roberts, but in Amadon & Brown the description, C.E. Talbot Kelly's illustrations, and the range map argue strongly for the Ovampo sparrow-hawk, and the range map would exclude my first suggestion, the european sparrow-hawk. Wish I'd checked there first, but In my (weak) defense, the two species are amazingly similar in plumage characteristics! Your first image shows strong central para-rachis streaking over the crop and breast with pronounced horizontal barring across the abdomen and flanks, typically more pronounced in A. nisus the in A ovampensis. I've gotta wonder:...were some influential taxonomist of a lumping bent to re-evaluate these two, ostensibly separate species if they might not be designated subspecies of A. nisus. But for the nonce, barring some substantive argument from Cade or Dementiev, I'm strongly inclined to your conclusion.
great images!
Dave
thank you for your comments and help!
Best regards,
Jefferson