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African Cuckoo Hawk
Aviceda cuculoides
4.51208, 39.0358
Field Notes
Description:
African Baza or African Cuckoo-hawk (named Cuckoo because of its resemblance with Cuckoo; at a first glance) is a medium sized african raptor, with long and broad wings and relaxed flight - at rest, wings almost reach the tip of the tail (it's Accipiter genus cousin have much shorter wings, and the tail extends way beyond wings at rest). Portrayed here is female (yellow eye - male has them red); with grey hood and breast, and darker grey mantle. Belly and the vent are largely barred white and red-brown.
Habitat:
This encounter with this rather discreet and unobtrusive raptor happened in fringes of a forested zone, in a hilly area south of Ethiopia and close to Kenyan border. Borena administrative zone of Oromiya region of Ethiopia is an agropastoral area and mainly semi-arid acacia savannas, with somme filly areas.
Notes:
In all normal circumstances, these two photo would be destined for thrush bin... I was really disappointed when I saw the final version on my screen! But, but, but - I hang on these two because the spotting was a lifer for me, and I have not had another chance yet to get better ones... The same goes for Project NOAH - it seems like the first spotting here.
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