What to Know About the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda?

The Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda is one of the African birds of Uganda seen during Uganda birding safaris & Tours. The black Sparrowhawk, sometimes known as the black goshawk or great sparrowhawk, is the largest African member of the genus Accipiter.

It occurs mainly in forests and non-desert areas, particularly where there are large trees suitable for nesting; favored habitat includes suburban and human-altered landscapes.

In Uganda, the Great Sparrowhawk is found in Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.

How Does the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda Look Like?

Typically, both genders of the black sparrowhawk are pied black-and-white when mature; generally, the plumage is predominantly black, but with a white throat, chest and belly.

These white fronted individuals are known as “white morphs” who are in the majority over most of the birds’ range.

They commonly have black fronts with a few white spots on the chest, and a white throat of variable size. In flight both morphs show white and black barring on the underside of the wings and tail.

The black morphs are not melanistic, as commonly alleged, as their plumage is not completely black, nor are they black as chicks or juveniles.

There is no noticeable difference between the plumage of mature females and males, who can only be distinguished by size.

The tails are cross-barred with about three or four paler stripes, and the undersides of the wings with perhaps four or five. The legs are yellow, with large feet and talons.

Young chicks have mid-grey eyes and white down, but when the feathers erupt they are predominantly brown.

The full plumage of juveniles is a range of browns and russets with dark streaks along the head and, more conspicuously, down the chest.

Commonly there are white or light-colored spots and streaks as well, mainly on the wings. The brown plumage being a sign of immaturity, it does not attract as dangerously aggressively territorial behavior as a mature black-and-white bird would.

As the young birds mature, their eyes change in color from mid-grey, though light brown, to dark red.

How Does the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda Sing and Make Calls?

Black sparrowhawks prey primarily on mid-sized birds. Most prey is spotted from a foliage-concealed perch and then is killed in flight while on a short flying dash.

Less often, they stoop or chase prey seen during low or high flight over open country or near the canopy of trees and, in some cases, may even pursue prey on foot.

Although kills are often made in under a minute after the initial attack, occasionally this species may engage in a prolonged pursuit over several minutes.

They have been known to scan for ant swarms so they can predate birds attracted to them.

Doves are the primary prey of males, whereas females take a greater quantity of larger prey such as pigeons and francolins.

They also feed on poultry found in rural villages, which have been inadvertently made available to them by humans.

They also often take species such as rock pigeons. With some regularity, they prey on other raptor species, including shikra, Ovambo sparrowhawk, African goshawk and wood owl.

Very occasionally, they may supplement their diet with small mammals, such as bats, rodents and juvenile mongooses.

Black sparrowhawks can carry their plucked, and decapitated prey up to 12 km, usually well above the canopy.

How Does the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda Nest?

These birds are particular about their nest sites; they prefer sites within the tree canopy to protect their offspring from adverse weather conditions and other predators.

Nests are found from 7 to 36 m high in trees, though occasionally have been found on the ground between large tree trunks.

However, the nests are usually not deep within the forest in order to stay within close proximity of the hunting habitat outside of the forest.

The nests are made up of thousands of sticks collected by both parents and are usually lined with green eucalyptus leaves, pine needles, camphor leaves or other aromatic greenery possibly to deter carriers of diseases, such as mites and insects, due to the repelling smell of the leaves, though greenery is often put in place weeks before the first egg is laid.

The nests can measure from 50 to 70 cm in width and 30–75 cm deep.

How Does the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda Breed?

Black sparrowhawks form monogamous pairs, though extra-pair matings are not uncommon. A nesting pair will mate regularly throughout the breeding season, starting during courtship and continuing till after the chicks have fledged.

Once nest building or refurbishing starts the female becomes lethargic, and the male does nearly all the hunting and provisioning of the female and the chicks when they hatch.

How Does the Great Sparrowhawk in Uganda Reproduce?

Typically, a pair will lay 2-4 eggs and incubate them for about 34–38 days until they hatch. Most of the incubating is done by the female, but the male will take over after he has brought in prey.

The female will then eat the food, and possibly bathe in a nearby stream, before taking over the incubation once again.

This behavior persists into the brooding period, after which the female may also start to hunt for food, but only if the nest is left largely undisturbed by other predators.

She remains the chief defender of the nest and the chicks. The newly hatched chicks are semialtricial in that they are fully covered in white down feathers but cannot leave the nest since they rely on the parents for food, warmth, and protection.

After 37 to 50 days, the juveniles are fledged but the parents will continue to care for them for the next 37 to 47 days.

The entire time from egg-laying to the juvenile independence can, therefore, be 20 weeks, or 5 months.

Black sparrowhawks are known to attempt multiple brooding on occasions. This behavior is exceeding rare in birds of prey.

The second brood may be raised in the same nest, or in a second nest nearby, where the fledglings from the first brood will continue to be fed by the parents.