Shikra (male) [Accipiter badius]
Flora & Fauna
The Shikra is a small hawk which feeds on rodents, squirrels, small birds, snakes and reptiles such as lizards. According to Salim Ali and S. Dillon Ripley’s ‘Compact Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan’ (second edition), the bird uses surprise tactics in hunting by “pouncing on unsuspecting quarry from its ambush up in a leafy tree. Sometimes stampedes small birds out of a thicket, selecting one from the flock, chasing it with speed and determination till struck.” It feeds on a variety of food: “All living animals of manageable size recorded”.
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