Accipiters & Eagles

Question 1

Order these Accipiters from largest to smallest:

• Dark Chanting Goshawk
• Gabar Goshawk
• Shikra
• Little Sparrowhawk
• Ovambo Sparrowhawk
• Lizard Buzzard
• African Goshawk

Answer 1

• Dark Chanting Goshawk
• African Goshawk
• Ovambo Sparrowhawk
• Lizard Buzzard
• Gabar Goshawk
• Shikra
• Little Sparrowhawk

Question 2

What are the key ID features of the Dark Chanting Goshawk?

Answer 2

Uniform dark grey body; below breast becoming narrowly barred. Red eyes; beak and legs. Pale rump patch and secondaries in flight;43-56 cm (Pied Crow)

Question 3

What are the key ID features of the African Goshawk?

Answer 3

Yellow eye and legs and grey cere; wholly barred on the front including the breast and throat; no white on the rump ;36-46 cm (Slightly larger than Burchell’s Coucal)

Question 4

What are the key ID features of the Lizard Buzzard?

Answer 4

White throat with black malar stripe; grey solid chest; white rump (in flight); single broad white tail bar (about half way down) on grey tail;35-37cm (Purple Roller)

Question 5

What are the key ID features of the Gabar Goshawk?

Answer 5

Grey throat and breast; red eye; cere and legs; two toned underparts (like a miniature Dark Chanting Goshawk); black and grey tail bars (seen in flight as three white bands on tail); White rump patch seen in flight; Look out for MELANISTIC form;28-36 cm (Lilac-breasted Roller)

Question 6

What are the key ID features of the Shikra?

Answer 6

Lacks the white rump and tail spots of the Little Sparrowhawk; rufous barring from throat downwards (not grey); cherry-red eye and unbarred tail; no white rump patch seen in flight;28-30 cm (Amur Falcon)

Question 7

What are the key ID features of the Little Sparrowhawk?

Answer 7

Very small; yellow legs; cere; eye and eye-ring; two white tail spots on black tail; narrow white rump (in flight appears like three white marks descending down the centre of the tail); orangey/brown barring on chest;23-28 cm (Grey-headed Bush Shrike)

Question 8

What bird has the following features: Uniform dark grey body; below breast becoming narrowly barred. Red eyes; beak and legs. Pale rump patch and secondaries in flight;43-56 cm (Pied Crow)?

Answer 8

Dark Chanting Goshawk

Question 9

What bird has the following features: Yellow eye and legs and grey cere; wholly barred on the front including the breast and throat; no white on the rump ;36-46 cm (Slightly larger than Burchell’s Coucal)?

Answer 9

African Goshawk

Question 10

What bird has the following features: White throat with black malar stripe; grey solid chest; white rump (in flight); single broad white tail bar (about half way down) on grey tail;35-37cm (Purple Roller)?

Answer 10

Lizard Buzzard

Question 11

What bird has the following features: Grey throat and breast; red eye; cere and legs; two toned underparts (like a miniature Dark Chanting Goshawk); black and grey tail bars (seen in flight as three white bands on tail); White rump patch seen in flight; Look out for MELANISTIC form;28-36 cm (Lilac-breasted Roller)?

Answer 11

Gabar Goshawk

Question 12

What bird has the following features: Lacks the white rump and tail spots of the Little Sparrowhawk; rufous barring from throat downwards (not grey); cherry-red eye and unbarred tail; no white rump patch seen in flight;28-30 cm (Amur Falcon)?

Answer 12

Shikra

Question 13

What bird has the following features: Very small; yellow legs; cere; eye and eye-ring; two white tail spots on black tail; narrow white rump (in flight appears like three white marks descending down the centre of the tail); orangey/brown barring on chest;23-28 cm (Grey-headed Bush Shrike)?

Answer 13

Little Sparrowhawk

Question 14

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Brown Snake Eagle?

Answer 14

Common resident; Breeding in summer; peaking in January

Question 15

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Steppe Eagle?

Answer 15

Non-breeding Palaearctic migrant; Breeding in Europe to Kazakhstan

Question 16

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Lesser Spotted Eagle?

Answer 16

Non-breeding Palaearctic migrant; Breeding in Europe; Russia and India

Question 17

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Tawny Eagle?

Answer 17

Locally common resident; Breeding April - July

Question 18

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Wahlberg’s Eagle?

Answer 18

Common intra-African breeding migrant; Breeding Sept - Oct

Question 19

What are the breeding and migratory habits of the Booted Eagle?

Answer 19

Intra-African migrants breeding mostly in Namibia in June or Sept in the Cape; Also non-breeding Palaearctic migrants

Question 20

What are the key ID features of the Brown Snake Eagle?

Answer 20

Dark brown; large yellow eyes; unfeathered grey legs; grey cere; large bulbous head; underwings appear “transparent” in flight with paler flight feathers; very erect posture when sitting

Question 21

What are the key ID features of the Steppe Eagle?

Answer 21

Large; dark brown; dark brown eyes; yellow cere and gape that extends to back of the eye

Question 22

What are the key ID features of the Lesser Spotted Eagle?

Answer 22

Uniform brown; yellow eye; cere and feet; short yellow gape; tight feathering on legs (“stove-pipe”); tail short and rounded in flight; size – slightly larger than Wahlberg’s; but smaller than Tawny

Question 23

What are the key ID features of the Tawny Eagle?

Answer 23

Fairly large; light brown (variable morphs); pale yellow gape extends to below middle of eye; loose feathering on legs (baggy trousers); tail rounded in flight

Question 24

What are the key ID features of the Wahlberg’s Eagle?

Answer 24

Smallish eagle; uniform dark brown (also variable morphs); head small with weak bill; slight crest (gives back of head an angular appearance); tail longish and square in flight – in flight overall appearance is “cross-like”

Question 25

What are the key ID features of the Booted Eagle?

Answer 25

Small eagle (similar in size to Dark Chanting Goshawk); variable colour morphs from dark brown to pale; small white patches on the shoulders (“white braces” or “landing lights”); tarsus heavily feathered (boots); tail square to slightly rounded with white band at base of the tail (rump) seen in flight

Question 26

What eagle has the following features: What are the key ID features of the Steppe Eagle??

Answer 26

Steppe Eagle

Question 27

What eagle has the following features: What are the key ID features of the Lesser Spotted Eagle??

Answer 27

Lesser Spotted Eagle

Question 28

What eagle has the following features: What are the key ID features of the Tawny Eagle??

Answer 28

Tawny Eagle

Question 29

What eagle has the following features: What are the key ID features of the Wahlberg’s Eagle??

Answer 29

Wahlberg’s Eagle

Question 30

What eagle has the following features: What are the key ID features of the Booted Eagle??

Answer 30

Booted Eagle