Henst’s goshawk  (Accipiter henstii)

Henst's goshawk is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List (1), and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).

This large bird of prey, found only on the biologically unique island of Madagascar, has largely dark brownish-grey plumage. The underparts are finely barred with greyish-brown and white (2), a distinctive pale strip runs above the yellow eyes, and the long legs are also yellow (2) (4). When flying through the forest, the Henst’s goshawk’s (Accipiter henstii) rounded wings, long, barred tail and pale rump can be seen (4). The female Henst’s goshawks are distinctly larger than males, while juveniles can be distinguished by the large brown spots on the breast and belly (2) (4). During the breeding season, Henst’s goshawks can be loud, vocal birds, with a rapid ‘keey-keey-keey’ uttered while perched or in flight (4)

Henst's goshawk is endemic to Madagascar, where it occurs in the east and west, but is not known from the drier south (2)

Henst’s goshawks inhabit the primary rainforest of eastern Madagascar and the dry forests in the western parts of the island, from sea level up to an elevation of 1,800 metres. It sometimes also occurs in secondary woodland (2)

Like other birds of prey, Henst’s goshawk is an accomplished predator, with acute eyesight, a powerful bill, and sharp, curved talons (5). With this armoury, it hunts and feeds on forest birds, poultry and mammals (2), including lemurs. It is capable of taking a range of lemur species, from the smallest to one of the largest, capturing and returning to its nest with a lemur weighing up to four kilograms (6). The Henst’s goshawk hunts mainly from a hidden perch (2), but will also search for prey as it flies swiftly through the forest; rarely does it soar over the forest canopy (2) (6).

Henst’s goshawks construct large nests of sticks in the main fork of a tree, occasionally within a eucalyptus plantation. Eggs are laid from October to November, from which hatch white, downy chicks (2).

This large forest raptor is not common, but appears to be present in almost all large forest blocks that have been surveyed (7). However, dependency on forest habitat makes Henst's goshawk vulnerable to deforestation (2), a threat which impacts much of the biodiversity of Madagascar. Agriculture, including rice cultivation, slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle grazing, has resulted in the loss of over 80 percent of Madagascar’s natural vegetation (8), with knock-on effects for the animals, plants and people which rely on this vital resource.

Henst’s goshawk occurs in several protected areas including Ranomafana National Park (6) and Tsingy de Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve (9), which may offer some protection from the threat of deforestation. The government of Madagascar, along with numerous conservation organisations, recognise the importance of conserving the islands’ unique and stunning biodiversity, and in 2003, the president of Madagascar pledged to triple the coverage of protected areas (8). There are many obstacles and challenges still ahead, but there is hope they can be overcome, for the sake of the animal, plant and human inhabitants of Madagascar.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For further information on conservation in Madagascar:

• Madagascar Wildlife Conservation:
  www.mwc-info.net/en
• WWF:
  http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/madagascar/

For more information on Henst's goshawk and other bird species:

• BirdLife International:
  http://www.birdlife.org