The Madagascar sparrowhawk (''Accipiter madagascariensis'') is a species of

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the family

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

s are subtropical or tropical dry forest,

subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests (TSMF), also known as tropical moist forest, is a subtropical and tropical forest habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Description TSMF is generally found in large ...

, subtropical or tropical moist

montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

, dry

savanna A savanna or savannah is a mixed woodland-grassland (i.e. grassy woodland) biome and ecosystem characterised by the trees being sufficiently widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach th ...

, and subtropical or tropical dry

shrubland Shrubland, scrubland, scrub, brush, or bush is a plant community characterized by vegetation dominance (ecology), dominated by shrubs, often also including grasses, herbaceous plant, herbs, and geophytes. Shrubland may either occur naturally o ...

. It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

. It may form a

superspecies In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

with

Eurasian sparrowhawk The Eurasian sparrowhawk (''Accipiter nisus''), also known as the northern sparrowhawk or simply the sparrowhawk, is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Adult male Eurasian sparrowhawks have bluish grey upperparts and orange-barred ...

(''A. nisus'') and rufous-chested sparrowhawk (''A. rufiventris'') (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001).

Population and Habitat

The Madagascar Sparrowhawk inhabits Madagascar and the Comoro Islands. These Islands are almost 300 miles away from Madagascar over open ocean. It is suspected that there is between 3300 and 6700 mature Madagascar Sparrowhawks in the wild. It was classified as near threatened in August 2018 by the IUCN. They can be found at altitudes from sea level up to 1500 meters, but typically stay under 1000 meters. Their habitats consist of rainforests in the East, deciduous forests in the west, and spiny forests in the southwest.

Diet and Foraging

The Madagascar Sparrowhawk eats other small birds which makes up 97% of their prey. Common avian prey includes the Madagascar Black Bulbul, the Madagascar Partridge, and the Madagascar Turtle-Dove. Other prey includes insects, frogs and some reptiles. The Madagascar Sparrow Hawk hunts by concealing themselves in low perches in the forest and pursuing prey in flight.

Reproduction and Development

The female Madagascar Sparrowhawk typically lays three eggs each breeding season in the months of October and November. Eggs are incubated by the female for a period of around 35 days. Nests are sometimes reused over several seasons. After the eggs hatch the young develop quickly. They will develop to leave the nest at an average of 37 days and become independent of their parents at around 60–67 days. Their life spans can range to 7 years, and they aren’t migratory birds.

Subspecies and description

The Comoro Islands have/had 3 distinct subspecies of the Madagascar Sparrowhawk: The Anjouan sparrowhawk, the Mayotte sparrowhawk, and the Sensu Palmer Sparrowhawk. The most notable difference between the Madagascar Sparrowhawks and its distinct subspecies is the difference in color patterns between males and females. Male Madagascar Sparrowhawks have blue/grey stomachs, wings, and backsides with slight hints of orange around their chest, while females have brown/black chests and wings. But the male and female subspecies Madagascar Sparrowhawks have unusual patterns, that unmistakably make them different. The Sensu Palmer Sparrowhawk has been declared extinct since 1972.

Threats

The Madagascar Sparrowhawk is threatened by habitat loss as a result of logging and wood harvesting. The number of Madagascar Sparrowhawks is decreasing as of 2023.

References

* Ferguson-Lees, James and David A. Christie (2001) ''Raptors of the World''. Christopher Helm, London. pp. 578–581. Madagascar sparrowhawk Endemic birds of Madagascar Birds of prey of Madagascar Madagascar sparrowhawk Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Accipitriformes-stub