The Fiji goshawk (''Accipiter rufitorques'') is a species of
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
in the family
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...
. It was once considered to be the same species (conspecific) as the
brown goshawk
The brown goshawk (''Accipiter fasciatus'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found in Australia and surrounding islands.
Description
Its upperparts are grey with a chestnut collar; its underparts are mainly rufous, f ...
of
Australia and
New Caledonia. It is
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...
to
Fiji, where it occurs on the larger islands of
Viti Levu
Viti Levu (pronounced ) is the largest island in the Republic of Fiji. It is the site of the nation's capital, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.
Geology
Fiji lies in a tectonically complex area between the Australian ...
,
Vanua Levu
Vanua Levu (pronounced ), formerly known as Sandalwood Island, is the second largest island of Fiji. Located to the north of the larger Viti Levu, the island has an area of and a population of 135,961 .
Geology
Fiji lies in a tectonically ...
,
Taveuni
Taveuni (pronounced ) is the third-largest island in Fiji, after Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, with a total land area of . The cigar-shaped island, a massive shield volcano which rises from the floor of the Pacific Ocean, is situated to the east of ...
,
Kadavu,
Gau and
Ovalau.
It occupies a range of wooded
habitat
In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...
s in Fiji, from natural rainforest to coconut plantations and urban gardens and parks.
Description
The Fiji goshawk ranges in size from 30–40 cm, making it medium-sized for its genus. It exhibits
sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most an ...
, with the females being larger than the males.
[Thiollay, J.M. (1994): Family Accipitridae (Hawks and Eagles) ''in'' del Hoyo, J.; Elliot, A. & Sargatal, J. (editors). (1994). '' Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 2'': New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Lynx Edicions. ] It has long legs and a long tail. The
plumage is unmistakable within its range, having a grey head, back, tail and wings and dull pink undersides and collar. The plumage of the juvenile is distinct from the adult, being all over brown with a highly streaked breast.
Diet
The Fiji goshawk feeds on birds as large as
pigeon
Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...
s, insects, introduced
rodent
Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
s and reptiles.
and have also been recorded feeding on freshwater prawns from the family
Palaemonidae
Palaemonidae is a family of shrimp in the order Decapoda. Many species are carnivores that eat small invertebrates, and can be found in any aquatic habitat except the deep sea. One significant genus is ''Macrobrachium'', which contains commercia ...
, as well as freshwater fish. This species hunts both from perches or flying. Prey may be snatched with either a slow and stealthy glide or a quick flapping attack. Prey may be chased into cover and they will actively harass and attempt to flush concealed prey.
Breeding
Fiji goshawks are seasonal breeders, with the breeding season occurring between July and December. Most eggs are laid between September and October. The
nest
A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...
is a platform of sticks located high in a lightly vegetated tree. The typical
clutch size
__NOTOC__
A clutch of egg (biology), eggs is the group of eggs produced by birds, amphibians, or reptiles, often at a single time, particularly those laid in a nest.
In birds, destruction of a clutch by predators (or removal by humans, for exam ...
is two to three eggs (occasionally four), of which up to two chicks are commonly
fledged.
History
Although the species is today considered to be endemic to Fiji,
fossil
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
bones attributed to this species have been found on the island of
'Eua in
Tonga
Tonga (, ; ), officially the Kingdom of Tonga ( to, Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga), is a Polynesian country and archipelago. The country has 171 islands – of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in ...
. The species may once have occurred in the
Lau group of Fiji as well.
Fiji goshawks will occasionally take
chicken
The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster or cock is a term for an adu ...
s and are often shot. They are nevertheless common and live at high densities.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q913227
Accipiter
Endemic birds of Fiji
Birds described in 1848
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Taxa named by Titian Peale