"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes."-Arthur Conan Doyle
Exceptionally suited for the dense forests as well as open farmlands it perches among the high branches from where it surveys every detail of what is happening below. It has a keen eyesight and can locate its prey from a distance of 150 feet. It pounces on its prey accurately and relentlessly and being an opportunistic feeder it eats whatever is available – snakes, lizards, frogs, squirrels and birds even larger than itself.
An adult Shikra rarely fails an attack which made it a favourite among falconers in India who used this bird for hunting other birds. The word Shikra comes from the hindi word "Shikaree" which means hunter. Although not permitted in India, the art of hunting with the Shikra is still practised in neighbouring Pakistan.
Shikra (f)
Little banded goshawk
(Accipiter badius)
Sony A77ii
Tamron 150-600
f/6.3, 1/125s, ISO3200, 400mm
Home,Kahun Road, Pune (India)
June 2020