Ardea
Official journal of the Netherlands Ornithologists' Union

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Brown L.H. & Brown B.E. (1979) The behaviour of the Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus. ARDEA 67 (3-4): 77-95
1. The Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus is a widespread but little known species of Africa and the Sahara, mainly of forests, but also hunting in the open. The present study, carried out over seven years at Karen near Nairobi, Kenya may be the fullest available study of any tropical Accipiter species. 2. General habits and hunting methods are discussed. The Black Sparrowhawk is very seldom seen outside the forest but clearly kills prey in open country also. It is a bird-killer specialising in pigeons and doves; and apparently selects larger species more often than expected. 3. Voice is described. Various calls permit separation of male and female, and adults or young, even if unseen. 4. The course of the breeding season is discussed. It differs little from that of other Accipiter species, but the same nest is used for unusually long periods in this genus (7-22 years). Nest building is protracted and sporadic, beginning up to 125 days before egg-laying. 2-3 eggs are laid and hatch in 36-37 days. The young fledge in 37-40 days, and their plumage differences are apparently sex-linked; sex ratio is about equal. The male brings all prey to the end of the fledging period, the female taking no part until the young can fly: she does not moult in the 90 days from before egg-laying to fledging. 5. The post-fledging period lasts 50-55 days and the young are fed by both parents near the nest until independent. Breeding success was high in the pair observed: 2.2 young/ annum, but including other results becomes 1.4/pair/year. All young which flew were thought to be independent. Life-span may be about 4 years as breeding adults. 6. The systematic pattern of the species is discussed related to observed behaviour patterns. Some of these are explained by the tropical environment, notably the lack of moult during the breeding season. It is concluded that the species may not be correctly placed in a superspecies with the European Goshawk and three other large, isolated Accipiter species.


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