The shikra (Accipiter badius) is a small bird of prey in the family Accipitridae that is widely distributed across its native range in Asia and Africa. Adult shikras have a sharp two-note call and a typical flap and glide flight. Their scientific name comes from Latin and is roughly translated as “chestnut-colored or brown hawk”.

Shikra Feather Characteristics

Shikras are small raptors with short rounded wings and a narrow and somewhat long tail. Adults are whitish on the underside with fine rufous bars while the upperparts are grey. The lower belly is less barred and the thighs are whitish. Males have a red iris while the females have a less red (yellowish orange) iris and brownish upperparts apart from heavier barring on the underparts. The females are slightly larger. The mesial stripe on the throat is dark but narrow. In flight, the male seen from below shows a light wing lining (underwing coverts) and has blackish wing tips. When seen from above, the tail bands are faintly marked on the lateral tail feathers and not as strongly marked as in the Eurasian sparrowhawk. The central tail feathers are unbanded and only have a dark terminal band. Juveniles have dark streaks and spots on the upper breast and the wing is narrowly barred while the tail has dark but narrow bands. A post-juvenile transitional plumage is found with very strong barring on the contour feathers of the underside.

Habitat and Behavior of Shikras

Image source: ShiKRA by Suvendu suvo

Shikras are found in a variety of habitats including forests, farmland, and urban areas. They are usually seen singly or in pairs. The flight is typical with flaps and glides. During the breeding season, pairs will soar on thermals and stoop at each other. Their flight usually draws alarms among smaller birds and squirrels. They feed on rodents, squirrels, small birds, small reptiles (mainly lizards but sometimes small snakes), and insects. Small birds usually dive through foliage to avoid a shikra, and a Small Blue Kingfisher has been observed diving into water to escape. Babblers have been observed to rally together to drive away a shikra. They will descend to the ground to feast on emerging winged termites, hunt at dusk for small bats, and in rare instances, they may even resort to feeding on carrion.

Breeding and Nesting of Shikras

The breeding season in India is in summer from March to June. The nest is a platform similar to that of crows, lined with grass. Both sexes help build the nest, twigs being carried in their feet. Like crows, they may also make use of metal wires. The usual clutch is 3 to 4 eggs (when eggs are removed, they lay replacements, and one observer noted that they could lay as many as 7 in a season) which are pale bluish grey stippled on the broad end in black. The incubation period is 18 to 21 days.

Shikras in Falconry

The shikra was a favorite among falconers in India and Pakistan due to the ease with which it could be trained and was frequently used to procure food for the more prized falcons. They were noted for their pluck and ability to take much larger birds including partridges, crows, and even young peafowl. The word “shikra” or “shikara” means “hunter” in the Hindi language (the male was called “chipak” or “chipka” based on call). The word “Shikra” is borrowed from the Urdu word (شِـكْـره) which is derived from the word “shikari” (شِكارى) meaning “hunter”.

Conservation Status of Shikras

According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the shikra is around 500,000-999,999 mature individuals. The European population consists of 50-210 pairs, which equates to 100-410 mature individuals, while the Arabian population consists of 600 breeding pairs, equating to 1,200 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, and its numbers today are stable.

References:
– https://animalia.bio/shikra?property=145
– https://ebird.org/species/shikra1
– https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shikra
– https://peregrinefund.org/explore-raptors-species/hawks/shikra
– https://www.featherbase.info/pt/species/accipiter/badius