What to Know About the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda?

The dark chanting goshawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which is found across Murchison falls national park in Uganda.

A Dark Chanting Goshawk is a medium-sized raptor with Length: 43-56 cm; Wingspan: 92-109 cm; Weight: Male: 645-695 and female: 841-852 g.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Look Like?

Adult has dark grey upper-parts, with slightly paler secondary wing coverts. Rump is white, finely barred with grey. Outer primaries are black, and inner primaries and secondaries are pale grey.

Tail is black, with outer feathers barred with white. Underparts and underwing coverts are white, finely barred with grey.

Chest is dark grey. Outer black primaries show pale grey bases, inner primaries and secondaries are pale grey, finely barred with whitish.

Tail is barred dark grey and white.  Head is dark grey. Hooked bill is black with red cere and gape. Eyes are dark red-brown.

Bare long legs and feet are red. Both sexes are similar, but female is slightly larger than male. Male has slightly paler wing coverts.

Juvenile has brown upperparts with paler edges. Rump is white, barred with brown. Underparts are white, with breast streaked brown, and belly barred with brown.

Flight feathers and tail are dark brown above. Underwings are white barred with dark, and they are finely barred with brown on secondaries.

Tail is whitish, barred with dark brown below. Cere, legs and feet are orange. Eyes are yellow.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

Dark Chanting Goshawk often calls from a perch or in flight, uttering an accelerating series of piping notes and fluty whistles, almost a song “kleeu-kleeu-klu-klu-klu”.

It also gives a high-pitched “kleee-u”. It is very vocal during breeding season.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Feed?

Dark Chanting Goshawk feeds mainly on reptiles, small snakes, lizards, chameleons. It also hunts birds as small pigeon, insects and small rodents.

Dark Chanting Goshawk hunts from top of bushes, trees or termite-hills, or other poles. When prey is selected, it dives to the ground and catches lizards, snakes, small mammals or birds, and insects.

It may chase birds while flying, but it usually hunts on the ground, after its steep, fast dive from its perch. It is an agile raptor.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Nest?

The nest is constructed in a tree by both sexes and is a flattish platform of sticks, slightly lower in the center than at the edges and decorated with spider webs and sometimes cemented with mud.

It may be lined with a wide variety of materials, including animal, plant, mineral and man-made objects.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Breed?

Dark Chanting Goshawk is usually seen singly or in pairs, often perched for long periods on a prominent perch, such as tree top or utility poles.

During breeding season, Dark Chanting Goshawk performs flight displays, accompanied with melodious whistles from a tree top or in flight.

How Does the Dark Chanting Goshawk in Uganda Reproduce?

Female lays one or two eggs, from August to November. Incubation lasts about 36 days, by female. Young fledge at about 50 days of age.