Birds of Central Africa

The Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. less ↑

The Tawny Eagle (Aquila rapax) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. It was once considered to be closely related to the migratory Steppe Eagle, Aquila nipalensis, and the two forms have previously been treated as conspecific. They were split based on pronounced differences in morphology and anatomy; two molecular studies, each based on a very small number of genes, indicate that the species are distinct but disagree... less ↑

Verreaux's Eagle (Aquila verreauxii) is a large bird of prey. Like all eagles, this species belongs to the taxonomic order Accipitriformes (formerly included in Falconiformes) and the family Accipitridae, which may be referred to colloquially as accipitrids or raptors. It is alternatively known as the Black Eagle, especially in Southern Africa, leading to potential confusion with the Black Eagle (Ictinaetus malayensis), which is sometimes known as the Indian Black Eagle and is limited in distribution to... less ↑

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... less ↑

The Black Sparrowhawk (Accipiter melanoleucus), sometimes known as the Black Goshawk or Great Sparrowhawk, is the largest African member of the genus Accipiter. It occurs mainly in forests and non-desert areas south of the Sahara, particularly where there are large trees suitable for nesting; favoured habitat includes suburban and human-altered landscapes. It preys primarily on birds of moderate size, such as pigeons and doves in suburban areas. less ↑

The Little Sparrowhawk (Accipiter minullus) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. This bird measures 20 to 25 cm (7.9 to 9.8 in) in length (about half of which is comprised by its tail), span 39–52 cm (15–20 in) across the wings and weighs around 85 g (3.0 oz). It is... less ↑

The Ovambo or Ovampo Sparrowhawk (Accipiter ovampensis) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. less ↑

The African Marsh Harrier (Circus ranivorus) is a bird of prey belonging to the harrier genus Circus. It is found in southern, central and eastern Africa from South Africa north to Sudan with a vagrant record from Nigeria. It is particularly common in the Okavango Delta in Botswana (Simmons 1997). It is usually found in wetland areas, especially those with reeds, but also occurs in grassland and farmland where it forages. less ↑

The Red-necked Buzzard (Buteo auguralis) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda. less ↑

The Western Banded Snake Eagle (Circaetus cinerascens) is a grey-brown African raptor with a short tail and a large head. Juveniles have paler and browner upperparts than adults, with white-edged feathers. Head, neck and breast are dark-streaked. The underparts are white with pale brown streaks, mainly on belly and thighs. Subadults may be all dark grey-brown without any streak on underparts. The eyes, ears, and legs are yellow. less ↑

The Black Kite (Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have experienced dramatic declines or fluctuations. Current global population estimates run up to 6 million individuals. Unlike others of the group, Black Kites are opportunistic hunters and are more likely to scavenge. They spend a lot of time soaring... less ↑

The Black-winged Kite (Elanus caeruleus) is a small diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae best known for its habit of hovering over open grasslands in the manner of the much smaller kestrels. This Eurasian and African species was sometimes combined with the Australian Black-shouldered Kite (Elanus axillaris) and the White-tailed Kite (Elanus leucurus) of North and South America which together form a superspecies. This kite is distinctive, with long-wings, white, grey and black plumage... less ↑

The African Fish Eagle (Haliaeetus vocifer) or – to distinguish it from the true fish eagles (Ichthyophaga), the African Sea Eagle – is a large species of eagle that is found throughout sub-Saharan Africa wherever large bodies of open water occur that have an abundant food supply. It is the national bird of Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Sudan. As a result of its large range, it is known in many languages. Examples of names include: Visarend... less ↑

The Crowned Eagle, also known as the African Crowned Eagle or the Crowned Hawk-Eagle (Stephanoaetus coronatus) is a large bird of prey found in sub-Saharan Africa; in Southern Africa it is restricted to eastern areas. Its preferred habitats are principally riparian woodlands and various forests. The Crowned Eagle is the only extant member of the genus Stephanoaetus. A second species, the Malagasy Crowned Eagle (Stephanoaetus mahery) became extinct after humans settled on Madagascar. less ↑

The Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus), also called the White Scavenger Vulture or Pharaoh's Chicken, is a small Old World vulture and the only member of the genus Neophron. It is widely distributed; the Egyptian Vulture is found from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to India. The contrasting underwing pattern and wedge-shaped tail make it distinctive in flight as it soars in thermals during the warmer parts of the day. Egyptian Vultures feed mainly on carrion but... less ↑

The White-backed Vulture (Gyps africanus) is an Old World vulture in the family Accipitridae, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is closely related to the European Griffon Vulture, G. fulvus. Sometimes it is called African White-backed Vulture to distinguish it from the Oriental White-backed Vulture—nowadays usually called White-rumped Vulture—to which it was formerly believed to be closely related. less ↑

Rüppell's vulture or Rüppell's griffon vulture (Gyps rueppelli) is a large vulture that occurs throughout the Sahel region of central Africa. The current population of 30,000 is decreasing due to loss of habitat and other factors. Known also as Rüppell's griffon, Rueppell's griffon, Rüppell's griffin vulture, Rueppell's vulture and other variants, Rüppell's vulture is named in honor of Eduard Rüppell, a 19th-century German explorer, collector, and zoologist. Rüppell's vulture is considered to be the highest-flying bird,... less ↑

The Grasshopper Buzzard (Butastur rufipennis) is a species of bird of prey in the Accipitridae family. It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. less ↑

The White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis) is an Old World vulture endemic to Africa. It has a pink beak and a white crest, and the featherless areas on its head are pale. Its has dark brown upper parts and black tail feathers. The feathers on its lower parts and legs are white. It has a wing span of 2 m and spends a lot of time soaring looking for food. It roosts in tall trees near to... less ↑

The Congo Serpent Eagle (Dryotriorchis spectabilis) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, and is placed in the monotypic genus Dryotriorchis. This species is found in western and central Africa, with its range stretching from Sierra Leone south to Angola and west to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It occurs in upper and lower Guinean forests, which are dense rainforests. This serpent eagle specializes in hunting in these forests’ dark understories.... less ↑

The Lappet-faced Vulture or Nubian Vulture (Torgos tracheliotos) is a mostly African Old World vulture belonging to the bird order Accipitriformes, which also includes eagles, kites, buzzards and hawks. It is the only member of the genus Torgos. The Lappet-faced Vulture was formerly considered monotypical, but now is separated into two subspecies. The nominate race lives throughout Africa. The subspecies T. t. negevensis, differing considerably in appearance from African vultures (as described below), occurs in the... less ↑

The Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis) or Vulturine Fish Eagle, is a very large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, buzzards and harriers, vultures, and eagles. It is the only member of the genus Gypohierax. Unusual for Birds of Prey, it feeds mainly on the fruit of the oil-palm though it also feeds on crabs, molluscs, locusts, fish and has been known to occasionally attack domestic... less ↑

The Scissor-tailed Kite or African Swallow-tailed Kite (Chelictinia riocourii) is the representative of the monotypic genus Chelictinia in the Accipitridae family. It is widespread in Africa, including: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and is also found in Yemen. less ↑