In February 2010, we spotted a Leucistic Red Backed Shrike (refer to: A lifer for any Twitcher posted 26 February 2010)Here is yet another noggin scratching bird, which will make some of you grab your Roberts Bird book frantically, yet again, but no need, the above photo is of a Melanistic Gabar Goshawk. Approximately 25% of the Gabar Goshawk population have this genetic condition, referred to as Melanism.
This plumage colouration is excessive pigmentation, when the bird’s body synthesizes too much of a certain pigment in the skin and growing feathers.
Melanism is due to an excess of the eumelanins resulting in an abnormally dark plumaged bird. In Southern Africa the Gabar Goshawk Melierax gabar is often seen in his all black ‘batman suit’. Melanism has also been recorded in Cattle Egret.
Other interesting facts is that the Gabar Goshawk is a monogamous bird which means that the bird finds and breeds with one partner for the rest of its life.
They forage for food on the ground and hunt for small reptiles such as lizards, geckos and bush snakes. The Gabar Goshawk strikes poisonous snakes on the head with one fatal blow which kills the snake instantly. There have been cases were this bird has been killed by a snake while hunting. Some birds have been blinded by Cobra venom.
The guests that shared this sighting where keen birders and our ranger was adamant to show them a new bird, but definitely did not expect this special treat…
They left with having ticked off two new birds on their lifer lists; this melanistic Gabar Goshawk and the Eastern Nicator.
Opportunities with sightings of this kind offer us a unique perspective on the life of our feathered friends here at Amakhosi!
