A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Accipiter badius
The Shikra (Accipiter badius) 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 to other sparrowhawk species including the Chinese 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. SOURCE: Wikipedia
These birds are nesting at the top of the Neem tree in my garden, but they always seem to eat in the Amla tree, which is just getting it's new leaves.
These are the resident Shikra's nesting in my Neem tree. Nos 1 & 2 are one of the pair, and No 3 is the other.
5 Comments
thank you Cecilia. I'll check out the difference when they are feeding tomorrow, and see if I can tell them apart...
thanks Cecilia. Would you mind telling me how you recognise them apart so I will know which is which, when I see them in future.
Very nice!
The first 2 photos are of one bird, and the third photo is the other. Anyone can tell which is male and which is female?
Nice.