Dark Chanting Goshawk
| Dark Chanting Goshawk | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Adult at Kapama Game Reserve, South Africa | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.) |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Melierax |
| Species: | M. metabates |
| Binomial name | |
| Melierax metabates Heuglin, 1861 | |
The Dark Chanting Goshawk (Melierax metabates) is a bird of prey in the familyAccipitridae. The Accipitridae also include many other diurnal raptors such as kites,eagles and harriers.
This hawk breeds in sub-Saharan Africa, but avoids the rain forests of the Congo basin. There is a small and declining isolated population in Morocco, and it also occurs in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
It is a resident species of tropical and subtropical savannah. It builds a stick nest in a tree and lays one or two eggs. It eats a variety of vertebrate prey and large insects.
Dark Chanting Goshawk is a large, long-tailed, broad-winged hawk, with a 105 cm wingspan. It is slate-grey above and white with fine barring below. The tail is black and white. In flight, the wings are grey with black tips. The flight is stiff and mechanical.
This species derives its name from the breeding season song, which consists of chanted flutes and whistles.
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