Accipiter ovampensis
Silhouette: Shyamal · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
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 Hwange National Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 253rd most-seen of the 308 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
June and December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an Ovampo Sparrowhawk in Hwange National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–May and July–November, the lowest months.
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, Hwange National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Meru National Park (Kenya, under 5%).
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the Ovampo Sparrowhawk that you can see in Hwange National Park (family Accipitridae, Hawks, Eagles, and Kites) are White-backed Vulture (about 40%), Bateleur (about 40%) and Tawny Eagle (about 40%), 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 Hwange National Park (11 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.
