NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Madagascan Sparrowhawk
Accipiter madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Madagascar sparrowhawk (Accipiter madagascariensis) is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, dry savanna, and subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
It is threatened by habitat loss.
It may form a superspecies with Eurasian sparrowhawk (A. nisus) and rufous-chested sparrowhawk (A. rufiventris) (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001).
Wikipedia contributors, Madagascar sparrowhawk; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:54:13.211024+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Accipiter madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
- Name authority
- J. Verreaux, 1833
- Common name
- Madagascan Sparrowhawk
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Aves
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Accipiter
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAves
- orderAccipitriformes
- familyAccipitridae Vigors, 1824
- genusAccipiter Brisson, 1760
- speciesAccipiter madagascariensis J. Verreaux, 1833
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Accipiter. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Rufous-thighed HawkAccipiter erythronemius (Kaup, 1850) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Eurasian SparrowhawkAccipiter nisus (Linnaeus, 1758) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Sharp-shinned HawkAccipiter striatus Vieillot, 1808 | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| White-breasted HawkAccipiter chionogaster (Kaup, 1852) | AccipitridaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Accipiter madagascariensis A. Smith, 1834 A. Smith, 1834 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Verreaux, & Jules Pierre. (1833). South African Quarterly Journal, Vol. 2. Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:93VG. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.