28/07/2026
Black Sparrowhawks, recently renamed to Black Goshawks, Astur melanoleucas, are one of the most urban-adapted raptor species that we have present in South Africa. The name change followed a taxonomic revision that moved the species from the genus Accipiter to Astur, recognising its closer relationship to the northern goshawks than to the true sparrowhawks.
They are widespread across the more forested areas of Africa south of the Sahara, and have exploited commercial forestry to expand their range and have also persisted in areas where indigenous forest has been replaced by suitably large exotic trees. Despite living in cities, they are remarkably secretive birds, and many people are completely unaware that a breeding pair may be raising chicks only a few hundred metres from their homes.
They favour large trees in which to build their substantial nests, which they may use for many breeding seasons. The nests normally sit at heights above ten metres from ground level. Occasionally the nests are taken over by other birds like Egyptian Geese, however many Black Sparrowhawk pairs have alternate nests within their territory, and may move to a different nest for another breeding attempt.
Goshawks get their name from the Old English word for goose, as they were traditionally used in falconry to hunt large prey such as geese and ducks, as well as other game birds like pheasant. Goshawks are generally bigger than sparrowhawks, with this species standing around 50cm tall. All goshawk species have orange-red eyes with a white eyebrow, and rounded tails, whilst sparrowhawks have yellow eyes, less obvious eyebrow and square ended tails that are generally longer in comparison, and sparrowhawks are usually quite a bit less robust in size.
Black Goshawks usually prey on mid-sized birds, between doves and pigeons, being opportunistic, and chasing down their prey with hard sustained flight after they have locked on to it after locking onto it from a tree-top perch. Prey is usually taken in flight with a burst of feathers evidence to a successful hunt, then brought back to their perch for consumption, or delivered to the nest. If the female is incubating, or there are chicks on the nest, the bulk of the hunting is done by the male, when the chicks are larger, and the amount of food required is greater, the female will do some of the hunting as well. Part of the success of their urban adaptation is the availability of food attracted to urban areas such as pigeons, which are readily consumed, and they have also been known to prey on smaller raptor species, as well as the occasional small mammal.
In Southern Africa they normally breed between May and October, though they can have a wider breeding season up to as late as February. Nests are built from a collection of sticks and branches and are quite substantial, and are built (and maintained) by both sexes. The birds form monogamous pairs that will stay together for many years, often use the same favoured nest for many consecutive years, although many pairs maintain one or more alternate nests within their territory. This particular pair has used the same nest for 9 years, with the longest recorded nest remaining in use for 32 years by successive pairs. The female lays two to four eggs, with broods of two or three chicks being the most common, although all four chicks may occasionally be successfully raised. They start to fledge from around 5-6 weeks after hatching, and will still be looked after by the parents, being trained to hunt, for around another month or two after leaving the nest.
The three chicks in this nest are around 3 weeks old at the moment, and the male is keeping busy feeding their growing appetites whilst the female continues to guard the nest and brood the chicks during the colder winter weather.
As Johannesburg continues to grow, these remarkable raptors remind us that wildlife can thrive alongside people when suitable habitat is preserved. Every active nest tells another chapter in the story of how birds adapt to our changing landscapes.
