The shikra or Accipiter badius, is a slender raptor which belongs to the family Accipitridae. The name shikra comes from the Hindi word ‘shikari’ which means hunter. True to its name, this bird is a prolific hunter. It hunts reptiles, bats, birds, frogs, insects, squirrels and rabbits. It is feared by small birds such as the kingfisher and the babbler which will take evasive action as soon as a shikra is spotted in the sky. This bird is preferred by falconers in India and Pakistan who train it to hunt for sport as it is intelligent and plucky and will unhesitatingly take on birds much larger in size.
It is found in various parts of Asia and in Africa where it is called the little banded goshawk and Indian sparrowhawk. Commonly found in the Indian subcontinent, it has a whitish underside with reddish-brown bars and gray upperparts. Although the shikra is a relatively small-sized raptor, its crooked beak and fierce stare give it an imposing personality. Males have red eyes and females have yellowish-orange eyes, besides being larger and darker brown. Both male and female have short rounded wings and a long banded tail. Its call is a ‘pee-wee’ and a sharper ‘kik-ki kik-ki’.
This bird is found in a wide range of habitats including forests, farms and urban sprawls, except high altitudes and extremely cold regions. It builds its nest in trees with twigs and grass and whatever is available, including metal wires. Both the male and female take part in nest building. The female usually lays 3 to 4 unmarked, white eggs and incubates them over a period of 18 to 21 days.
This bird has a very large range of habitats and its population has not shown any significant decline over the years. It is listed under ‘Least Concern’ in the IUCN Red List.
Picture Credit : Google
