The spot-tailed sparrowhawk or spot-tailed goshawk is a species of bird of prey in the family, Accipitridae. It was formerly placed in the genus Accipiter. It is endemic to Sulawesi in Indonesia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest.
Region
Wallacea (Sulawesi and nearby islands)
Typical Environment
Occurs throughout Sulawesi and some adjacent islands in evergreen lowland forest, swamp forest, and mangrove belts. It favors dense interior forest but also hunts along edges, river corridors, and clearings. The species can persist in selectively logged forest, though it is far less frequent in heavily converted landscapes. Mangroves and coastal forests provide important foraging sites where small birds concentrate. It is generally scarce and easily overlooked due to its furtive habits.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Also called the spot-tailed goshawk, this small forest raptor is endemic to Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is a secretive hunter of the forest interior and edges, often seen in swift dashes through the understory and subcanopy. Its taxonomy has been debated, having been shuffled among genera in recent treatments. It depends on intact lowland and mangrove forests but may tolerate lightly disturbed habitats.
Temperament
solitary and territorial
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with sudden dashing pursuits
Social Behavior
Typically seen alone or in pairs, maintaining territories in mature forest. Pairs build a small stick nest high in the canopy, often near the trunk. Clutch size is usually small, and both adults defend the nest vigorously.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Gives a series of high, sharp kek or kik notes in quick succession, especially during the breeding season. Also emits thin whistles and scolding calls when agitated near the nest.
Plumage
Compact, short-winged sparrowhawk with slate-gray to brownish upperparts and finely barred rufous-and-white underparts. Tail shows a pale tip and distinctive dark spots or broken bars near the end. Throat whitish with fine dark streaking; juveniles are browner above with heavier blotching below. Wings are rounded, and the tail is relatively long with the namesake spotting most evident from below.
Diet
Primarily takes small birds, but also hunts large insects, lizards, and small mammals when available. It uses a sit-and-wait strategy from concealed perches, followed by a short, rapid dash to seize prey. Ambushes along forest trails and edges are common. Prey is typically consumed on a perch within cover.
Preferred Environment
Forages within the subcanopy and along forest edges, river margins, and mangroves where prey movements are concentrated. Frequently hunts near small clearings and along logging tracks that create sightlines through dense vegetation.
