position at the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden, The Netherlands), in 1873. There are two other Accipiter present on the island of Masagascar: France's sparrowhawk (Accipiter francesii) and Madagascar sparrowhawk (Accipiter madagascariensis), both of which are smaller than the Henst's goshawk. Distribution and habitat The Henst's goshawk has a limited distribution within Madagascar due to specific habitat requirements. The preferred habitats of the Henst's goshawk are primary rainforests and occasionally secondary woodland. Due to the physical geography of Madagascar these areas are restricted to the North, West and East of the island and do not occur within the southern portion. The southern portion of the island contains more arid and dry forests not suitable for raptor foraging. Consequently, the distribution of the Henst's goshawk follows that of its preferred forest habitat and is not found in the southern portion of the island. The primary forests of Madagascar may be categorized as dry deciduous and humid evergreen, both of which are occupied by Henst's goshawk. Accipter Henstii is known as an obligate forest species meaning it relies on forested habitat. This poses a problem, since these habitats are quickly being lost due to development in the region. However, it has been spotted within Eucalyptus plantations in the region. And may use these plantations to supplement for lost habitat. Within this range, it is known to be a rare species that occurs at low densities, but present within all non-arid forests. The estimated range of occurrence is approximately 673000 km2. With a vertical range of occurrence ranging from sea level to 1800m above sea level. As a top predator, large area requirements are necessary for foraging, explaining why the species occurs at low densities. Behaviour The goshawk will mainly hunt from a hidden perch within the forest and will rarely soar above the canopy cover. Reproduction Accipiter Henstii will form breeding pairs that are known as "socially monogamous". Therefore, breeding pairs may seem like monogamous pairs but only do so for chick rearing, and will actively seek extra pair copulations on the side. Little is known about the courtship process of Henst's other than a "switchbacking" display observed by Safford and Duckworth. These displays constitute hairpin turns and aerial displays followed by a distinct breeding vocalization. Following copulation, egg-laying takes place in October-November. A preference has been noted for nest sites to occur in high stature forests near a water course.