First nesting records for Black Sparrowhawk Accipiter melanoleucus in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Black sparrowhawks Accipiter melanoleucus have expanded their range westwards into areas previously unsuitable due to a lack of ap-propriate tree cover. They now occur in areas where exotic trees (mainly Eucalyptus and Pinus species) have become established: for-estry plantations, urban areas and infestations along rivers. This pa-per reports the status of black sparrowhawks in the Northern Cape, and the discovery of two nests in Pinus plantations close to Nieu-woudtville in 2019. It is likely that this area was colonised from the Western Cape.