Polyboroides typus
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~30%
The African harrier-hawk, harrier hawk or gymnogene (Polyboroides typus) is a bird of prey. It is about 60–66 centimetres (24–26 in) in length. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. The only other member of the genus is the allopatric Madagascar harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus).
African harrier-hawks are a common raptorial species south of the Sahara being most commonly found in the tropical regions of western Africa becoming less common in East and South Africa. African harrier-hawks are adaptable in their habitat preferences, occupying the following habitats in the Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve in the Central African Republic: thick rainforest, forest edge, riparian areas, agricultural land and human occupied areas. African harrier-hawks are adaptable and able to live in both urban and rural human occupied areas and they are one of the most common raptorial species in traditional rural villages of eastern Guinea-Bissau. African harrier-hawks have also been known to breed in Palm trees present in cities and urban gardens.
The African harrier-hawk is a medium-sized raptor. The upperparts, head and breast are pale grey... Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 2 | Yaoundé | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | |
| 3 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Freetown | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | |
| 5 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 6 | Addis Ababa | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 7 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 8 | Mombasa | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 9 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 10 | Monrovia | 🇱🇷 Liberia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pairi Daiza | 🇧🇪 Belgium | |
| 2 | Banham Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 3 | London Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 4 | Dullstroom Bird Of Prey & Rehabilitation Centre | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | World of Birds Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 6 | Umgeni River Bird Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 7 | Gauntlet Birds of Prey | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Harrier-Hawk sighting in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, based on 169 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 180th most-seen of the 398 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March–May, July–August and October–December
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report an African Harrier-Hawk in Masai Mara National Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, June and September, the lowest months.
Between 8 and 11 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most African Harrier-Hawk sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
37th of 52
Of the 52 parks where we can rate African Harrier-Hawk sightings, Masai Mara National Reserve ranks 37th at about 10%. The best odds are in Niokolo-Koba National Park (Senegal, about 50%), Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 40%) and Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Accipitridae
The closest relatives of the African Harrier-Hawk that you can see in Masai Mara National Reserve (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 African Harrier-Hawk is recorded against all the birds logged in Masai Mara National Reserve (169 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.
