This sparrowhawk occurs in fragmented parts of eastern Africa from Ethiopia to South Africa. In southern Africa, slate-grey upperparts and plain rufous underparts are distinctive.
In southern Africa, the head appears hooded, the upperparts are slate grey, and the underparts are plain rufous.
It is solitary or seen in pairs, often perching high in trees. It mainly hunts small birds over open country.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.