African Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides typus)
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African Harrier-Hawk

Polyboroides typus Smith, A, 1829

633 gWeight

The African harrier-hawk, harrier hawk or gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) is a bird of prey.

Most records: Uganda, Ghana, South Africa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Most records: Uganda, Ghana, South Africa

African Harrier-Hawk has been recorded at 533 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 36 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda556 records
  2. Kirstenbosch Botanical GardenSouth Africa373 records
  3. Kakum NP – CanopyGhana328 records
More places
  1. Campement de WassadouSenegal272 records
  2. Nairobi NPKenya269 records
  3. Kakum NP – Canopy Walkway & vicinityGhana262 records
  4. Tarangire NPTanzania239 records
  5. Bobiri Butterfly SanctuaryGhana233 records
  6. Mabamba SwampUganda225 records
  7. Kakum National ParkGhana213 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaGhanaSouth AfricaKenyaGambiaTanzaniaEthiopiaRwanda

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The African harrier-hawk, harrier hawk or gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) is a bird of prey. It is about 60–66 centimetres (24–26 in) in length. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Harrier-Hawk?

The African Harrier-Hawk weighs around 633 g.

Where does the African Harrier-Hawk live?

Its breeding range: Africa: widespread. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Ghana and South Africa.

Is the African Harrier-Hawk endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Harrier-Hawk as Least Concern.

What does the African Harrier-Hawk eat?

Main food: Vertebrate prey.

What family is the African Harrier-Hawk in?

It belongs to the family Kites, Hawks, Eagles (Accipitridae), order Accipitriformes.

At a glance

Weight
633 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Vertebrate prey
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
443 mm
Tail
290 mm
Bill
39 mm
Tarsus
88 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: widespread

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Family
Kites, Hawks, Eagles Accipitridae
Genus
Polyboroides

Other birds in the genus Polyboroides

Madagascar Harrier-HawkMadagascar Harrier-HawkPolyboroides radiatusPearl KitePearl KiteGampsonyx swainsoniiScissor-tailed KiteScissor-tailed KiteChelictinia riocouriiWhite-tailed KiteWhite-tailed KiteElanus leucurusBlack-winged KiteBlack-winged KiteElanus caeruleusBlack-shouldered KiteBlack-shouldered KiteElanus axillarisLetter-winged KiteLetter-winged KiteElanus scriptusPalm-nut VulturePalm-nut VultureGypohierax angolensisBearded VultureBearded VultureGypaetus barbatusEgyptian VultureEgyptian VultureNeophron percnopterus
African Harrier-Hawk

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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Asrat Ayalew Gella. ↗

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