Shikra
Photo: Ravi Vaidyanathan · CC BY 2.5

Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks

Shikra

Tachyspiza badia

LCLeast Concern
Family
Kites, Old World Vultures, Eagles, and Hawks (Accipitridae)
Order
Accipitriformes

Overview

The shikra (Tachyspiza badia) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae found widely distributed in Asia and Africa where it is also called the little banded goshawk. The African forms may represent a separate species but have usually been considered as subspecies of the shikra. The shikra is very similar in appearance, as well as behavior, at least to some degree, to other species including the Chinese sparrowhawk (Tachyspiza soloensis, formerly Accipiter soloensis), Eurasian goshawk (Astur gentilis) and Eurasian sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus). They have a sharp two-note call and exhibit the flap-and-glide flight style typical of Tachyspiza and Accipiter hawks.

Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Range and habitat

Sources and further reading

Last updated September 29, 2026.