African Harrier-Hawk

Look for a large, bare-faced raptor methodically working its way down tree trunks and into cavities, using its uniquely double-jointed legs to extract lizards, nestlings, and weaver eggs from crevices and weaverbird colonies — behavior unlike any other African raptor. It favors forest edges, riparian woodland, and tall trees near water, and is often surprisingly tame, allowing close approach. Dawn and dusk are the most productive times to locate it, particularly during the breeding season when its drawn-out, mournful whistle carries well through the canopy; listen for panicked mobbing calls from weavers and starlings, which frequently betray its presence at an active colony.