Accipiter ovampensis
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The Ovambo or Ovampo sparrowhawk, also known as Hilgert's sparrowhawk, (Accipiter ovampensis) is a species of sub-Saharan African bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It takes its name from the Ovamboland in northern Namibia.
The Ovambo sparrowhawk is a small sparrowhawk with the typical broad winged, long-tailed shape of a member of the genus Accipiter. The adults have plain grey upperparts with white bars on the rump and white underparts which are finely barred with grey but with a plain white vent. The tail has three dark bars and a broad, dark subterminal band. The bill is black, contrasting with the red cere, the eyes are dark red and the legs are orange. There is a melanistic form which is all black except for the white barred flight feathers on the underwing. The juvenile is browner and may be white over the underparts and head or have a brown head and rufous underparts. Females are about 14% bigger than males, weighing in at 180–305 g (6.3–10.8 oz) to the males 105–190 g (3.7–6.7 oz). The total length is about 30 cm (12 in) and the wingspan is 67 cm (26 in).
It occurs in sub-Saharan Africa and breeds mostly south of the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 2 | Hwange National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Arusha National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Mana Pools National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 5 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 6 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 7 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Lake Nakuru National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Moremi Game Reserve | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 11 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Harare | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 3 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ovampo Sparrowhawk sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 221st most-seen of the 260 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Ovampo Sparrowhawk in Etosha National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Ovampo Sparrowhawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 11 parks where we can rate Ovampo Sparrowhawk sightings, Etosha National Park ranks 6th at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Meru National Park (Kenya, under 5%), Hwange National Park (Zimbabwe, under 5%) and Arusha National Park (Tanzania, under 5%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Ovampo Sparrowhawk that you can see in Etosha National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are Pale Chanting Goshawk (about 50%), Tawny Eagle (about 40%) and White-backed Vulture (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Ovampo Sparrowhawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Etosha National Park (14 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
