This small, secretive hawk occurs widely through forests and woodlands of sub-Saharan Africa, and may occur at high breeding densities in the parts of southern Africa where it is found. It occurs extensively through Zimbabwe, in northern South Africa and along South Africa's east and south coasts. In Namibia, it occurs only in the north-east (at a reporting rate of about 2% to 14%), with two records from the Okavango River further west (Allan 1997g). It occupies an area of 5,300 km2 (Jarvis et al. 2001), and although it is expected to breed in Namibia, there are no nesting records.