EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Gabar Goshawk

Gabar Goshawk (Micronisus gabar), Family Accipitridae
Sinya Wildlife Management Area, Tanzania

Explanation:  Perching flamingo-like on a thorned limb is this juvenile Gabar Goshawk.  We are in Sinya Wildlife Management Area in northern Tanzania, eastern central Africa, bordering Kenya and Kilimanjaro National Park.  

Gabar Goshawks are small accipiters found most commonly in steppe habitats and savannas of sub-Saharan Africa.  They are year-round residents of acacia woodlands and arid thorn savannas, and are more commonly seen along streams and waterways. 

 A juvenile Gabar Goshawk within a thorn tangle in an
Acacia tree, along Lake Baringo in southern Kenya's Rift Valley.

Their conservation status is listed as Least Concern by IUCN, and as having a stable population.  

Gabar Goshawks hunt from a perch, and sometimes dash perch-to-perch in trees, seldom soaring.

Now, the name "Gabar" is most interesting!  The general definition of "Gabar" is "an Iranian Zoroastrian."  What would this have to do with a bird of prey?  And this species isn't even found in Iran.  

Upon some further sleuthing, I discovered that, apparently, "Gabar" is an Old Testament Hebrew word meaning "to prevail, have strength, be strong, be powerful, be mighty, be great."  This definition seems to well describe this small but forceful bird of prey, with its powerful talons and hunting prowess.  

Who knew?