Little sparrowhawk

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Little sparrowhawk
Little sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus) 01, crop.jpg
Little sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus) 02, crop.jpg
At Phinda Game Reserve, South Africa, showing ventral and dorsal plumage
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Tachyspiza
Species:
T. minulla
Binomial name
Tachyspiza minulla
(Daudin, 1800)
Subspecies
  • T. m. tropicalis - (Reichenow, 1898)
  • T. m. minullus - (Daudin, 1800)
Synonyms [2]
  • Accipiter buttikoferiSharpe 1888
  • Falco minullusDaudin, 1800
Juvenile little sparrowhawk - Onrus, Hermanus, South Africa Juvenile little sparrowhawk.jpg
Juvenile little sparrowhawk - Onrus, Hermanus, South Africa

The little sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza minulla) is a species of Afrotropical bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter . It is the smallest member of the genus Tachyspiza and forms a superspecies with the red-thighed sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza erythropus).

Contents

Taxonomy

The little sparrowhawk was formally described in 1800 by the French zoologist François Daudin under the binomial name Falco minullus. [3] Daudin based his account on "le minulle" that had been described and illustrated by François Levaillant in 1798. Levaillant had collected his specimens near the Gamtoos River in the province of Eastern Cape in South Africa. [4] [5] The specific epithet minullus is Modern Latin meaning "very small". [6] The little sparrowhawk was formerly assigned to the genus Accipiter . In 2024 a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic study of the Accipitridae confirmed earlier work that had shown that the genus was polyphyletic. [7] [8] To resolve the non-monophyly, Accipiter was divided into five genera. The genus Tachyspiza was resurrected to accommodate the little sparrowhawk together with 26 other species that had previously been placed in Accipiter. The resurrected genus had been introduced in 1844 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup. [9] The genus name combines the Ancient Greek ταχυς (takhus) meaning "fast" with σπιζιας (spizias) meaning "hawk". [10] The little sparrowhawk forms a superspecies with the red-thighed sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza erythropus). [5]

Two subspecies are recognised: [9]

Description

The little sparrowhawk is, as its name suggests a very small bird of prey which is also distinguished by two white spots on the underside of its central tail feathers and by a narrow white patch on the lower rump. It is sexually dimorphic and the male has dark grey upperparts, which can appear almost black, this colour extending on to the cheeks to contrast with the white throat. The underparts are white barred with fine rufous bars. The females are overall browner on the upperparts and the underpart bars are also browner and less fine than the male. The juveniles are browner overall with pale tips to the upperpart feathers and is spotted with grown below rather than barred and the rump feathers have only the tips white, and shows dark. In adults the bill is black, the long legs and long toes are yellow, the cere is yellow and the eyes are deep yellow; in juveniles have a yellowish-green cere and brown eyes. The length is 23–27 cm (9.1–10.6 in); the wingspan is 39–50 cm (15–20 in), the male weighs 74–85 g (2.6–3.0 oz) and the female 68–105 g (2.4–3.7 oz). [11]

Distribution and habitat

The little sparrowhawk occurs in eastern and southern sub-Saharan Africa from Ethiopia south to the southern Democratic Republic of Congo and northern Angola, south as far as the eastern Western Cape in South Africa. [12]

The little sparrowhawk is a woodland bird which can be found in patches of woodland and scrub, typically along river valleys. [11] In drier areas it can be found in open areas such as fynbos and grassland, also in suburban gardens. [12]

Behaviour

Breeding

A juvenile bird in South Africa Jong Kleinsperwer.jpg
A juvenile bird in South Africa

The little sparrowhawk is a monogamous and territorial solitary nester. The male's display sees him perch with his body held parallel to the perch the sways his head from side to side. The female takes most of the responsibility of building the nest constructing a small stick platform which has a thin lining of green leaves. She typically places the nest in the main fork of a tree, favouring alien species, such as Eucalyptus, poplars, jacaranda and weeping willow. She will use old nest of a shikra or gabar goshawk rather than building her own nest. [12]

Adult bird at Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa Little sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus) 03, crop.jpg
Adult bird at Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa

In southern Africa the one to three eggs are laid from September to December, with a peak in October. The eggs are incubated by both the male and the female for about 31–32 days, although the female will perform at least three quarters of the incubation. The male regularly brings food to the incubating female and he continues to do so as she takes responsibility for the brooding of the chicks, The male also defends the nest from any other birds which approach it and vigorously chases them away, very vigorously if the intruding bird is another bird of prey. The young fledge at about 25–27 days old, remaining on their parents' territory for up to a year. [12] In other parts of Africa breeding has been recorded from March to April in north-eastern Africa and from October to November in western Kenya. [11]

Food and feeding

The little sparrowhawk is a bird hunter, waiting in cover the pursuing prey in a short dash and capturing it in flight. [11] The main prey is small birds up to the size of a thrush or a dove. Bats may also be caught and some prey is taken from the ground, including frogs, lizards and rodents. Larger insects and termites are also taken. [12]

Predation

The recorded predators of adult little sparrowhawks include the gabar goshawk (Micronisus gabar), while chicks have sometimes been predated by lizard buzzards (Kaupifalco monogrammicus). [12]

Related Research Articles

<i>Accipiter</i> Genus of birds

Accipiter is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. With around 50 recognized species it is the most diverse genus in its family. Most species are called goshawks or sparrowhawks, although with the exception of the American goshawk almost all New World species are simply known as "hawks". They can be anatomically distinguished from their relatives by the lack of a procoracoid foramen. Two small and aberrant species usually placed here do possess a large procoracoid foramen and are also distinct as regards DNA sequence. They may warrant separation in the old genus Hieraspiza.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitrinae</span> Subfamily of birds

The Accipitrinae are the subfamily of the Accipitridae often known as the "true" hawks, including all members of Accipiter and the closely related genera Erythrotriorchis, and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread genus Accipiter includes goshawks, sparrowhawks, the sharp-shinned hawk and others. They are primarily woodland birds that hunt by sudden dashes from a concealed perch, with long tails, broad wings and high visual acuity facilitating this lifestyle. In light of recent genetic research, the kites of the traditional subfamily Milvinae may also belong to this group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shikra</span> Species of bird

The shikra is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the shikra. The shikra is very similar in appearance, as well as behavior, at least to some degree, to other species including the Chinese sparrowhawk, Eurasian goshawk and Eurasian sparrowhawk. They have a sharp two note call and have the typical flap and glide flight. Their calls are imitated by drongos and the common hawk-cuckoo resembles it in plumage. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Besra</span> Species of bird

The besra, also called the besra sparrowhawk, is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. The name "besra" is from the Hindi word for the species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crested goshawk</span> Species of bird

The crested goshawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is widely distributed in tropical Asia. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Levant sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The Levant sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey. It measures 32–38 cm (13–15 in) in length with a wingspan of 65–75 cm (26–30 in). The female is larger than the male, but the difference is not as marked as with Eurasian sparrowhawk. The adult male is blue-grey above, with dark wingtips, and barred reddish below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frances's sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

Frances's sparrowhawk is a small bird of prey. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. The nominate subspecies, T. f. francesiae, is endemic to Madagascar, and the other subspecies are found in the Comoro Islands. The Anjouan sparrowhawk, also known as the Anjouan Island sparrowhawk, Ndzuwani goshawk or Joanna Island goshawk, was thought to be extinct until searches in the 1980s and in 2005 confirmed that it is still extant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chinese sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The Chinese sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza soloensis) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japanese sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The Japanese sparrowhawk is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards and harriers. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. The bird is known by many alternative names such as the Japanese lesser, Asiatic, or Eastern sparrowhawk. This species is a small raptor with broader and rounder wings and a shorter tail. Its total length measures 23–30 centimetres (9.1–11.8 in). It has a dark back and whitish underside with brown-grey barring and red-brown colouring on the sides in males, and with heavier brown barring on the abdomen in females. Both sexes have a stripe across the throat, but its more obvious in the female. Is it typically identified by its appearance, but occasionally produces a chattering kiki-kik-kik... sound. This species generally breeds in parts of Russia, Korea, Japan, and China. There are three subspecies of Japanese sparrowhawk that differ by distribution and appearance. The species is globally listed as least concern, although it is listed as endangered in Japan and protected in China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown goshawk</span> Species of bird

The brown goshawk is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey goshawk</span> Species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae

The grey goshawk is a strongly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is found in eastern and northern Australia. The white morph of this species is known as the white goshawk. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grey-headed goshawk</span> Species of bird

The grey-headed goshawk is a lightly built, medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bicolored hawk</span> Species of bird

The bicolored hawk is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in forest, woodland, second growth, plantations, and wooded savanna in southeastern Mexico, Central America, and northern and central South America. Though generally uncommon, it is the most common species of Astur in most of its range, but it does not occur at altitudes above 2,700 metres (8,900 ft) such as the highest parts of the Andes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-thighed sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The red-thighed sparrowhawk, alternatively known as the red-legged sparrowhawk or western little sparrowhawk, is a species of sparrowhawk in the family Accipitridae from western and northern central Africa. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ovambo sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The Ovambo or Ovampo sparrowhawk, also known as Hilgert's sparrowhawk, is a species of sub-Saharan African bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It takes its name from the Ovamboland in northern Namibia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-breasted sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The rufous-breasted sparrowhawk, also known as the rufous-chested sparrowhawk and as the red-breasted sparrowhawk, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">African goshawk</span> Species of bird

The African goshawk is an African species of bird of prey in the genus Aerospiza. This species was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabar goshawk</span> Species of bird

The gabar goshawk is a small species of African and Arabian bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.

<i>Tachyspiza</i> Genus of birds

Tachyspiza is a genus containing goshawks and sparrowhawk in the family Accipitridae. The species were formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

<i>Aerospiza</i> Genus of birds

Aerospiza is a genus containing goshawks and a sparrowhawk in the family Accipitridae that are found in Africa. The three species in the genus were formerly placed in the genus Accipiter.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International. (2016). "Accipiter minullus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22695581A93517052. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22695581A93517052.en . Retrieved 8 August 2021.
  2. ↑ "Repository "Index to Organism Names"". GBIF and EOL. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  3. ↑ Daudin, François Marie (1800). Traité élémentaire et complet d'ornithologie, ou, Histoire naturelle des oiseaux (in French). Vol. 2. Paris: Chez L'Auteur. pp. 88–90.
  4. ↑ Levaillant, François (1798). Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux d'Afrique (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: J.J. Fuchs. p. 140, Plate 34.
  5. 1 2 Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1979). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. pp. 336–337.
  6. ↑ Jobling, James A. "minullus". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  7. ↑ Catanach, T.A.; Halley, M.R.; Pirro, S. (2024). "Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus Accipiter (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society: blae028. doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blae028.
  8. ↑ Mindell, D.; Fuchs, J.; Johnson, J. (2018). "Phylogeny, taxonomy, and geographic diversity of diurnal raptors: Falconiformes, Accipitriformes, and Cathartiformes". In Sarasola, J.H.; Grange, J.M.; Negro, J.J. (eds.). Birds of Prey: Biology and conservation in the XXI century. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. pp. 3–32. ISBN   978-3-319-73744-7.
  9. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (August 2024). "Hoatzin, New World vultures, Secretarybird, raptors". IOC World Bird List Version 14.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  10. ↑ Jobling, James A. "Tachyspiza". The Key to Scientific Names. Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved 26 August 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Little sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus)". Wildscreen. Archived from the original on 2016-11-17. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minutus". Iziko Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
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