Long-tailed Hawk
Encyclopedia
The Long-tailed Hawk is a bird of prey
in the family Accipitridae
, which also includes many other diurnal raptor
s such as kite
s, eagle
s and harrier
s. It is the only member of the genus Urotriorchis.
This hawk inhabits the tropical rainforest
s of western
and central Africa
. It has a wingspan of 81–90 cm (31.9–35.4 in) and a total length of 56–65 cm (22–25.6 in), including the tail of 30–37 cm (11.8–14.6 in). Females are about 15% larger than males. Since the tail comprises about 56% of this raptor's total length, this species ties with the Cinereous Harrier
as the raptor with the longest tail relative to its body size.
The Long-tailed Hawk primarily eats squirrels and small birds; it can also hunt chickens in the villages close to the forest. It kills prey by breaking the neck.
The mating season occurs in July and August, when the pair build a nest on a high tree. Little is known regarding nesting and breeding the young.
"tail", and "triorchis" meant a kind of hawk thought to have three testicle
s—for further details see Eutriorchis. "Macro-" is from the Greek for "long", so macrourus means "long-tailed", as in the English name.
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
in the family Accipitridae
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae, one of the two major families within the order Accipitriformes , are a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a...
, which also includes many other diurnal raptor
Bird of prey
Birds of prey are birds that hunt for food primarily on the wing, using their keen senses, especially vision. They are defined as birds that primarily hunt vertebrates, including other birds. Their talons and beaks tend to be relatively large, powerful and adapted for tearing and/or piercing flesh....
s such as kite
Kite (bird)
Kites are raptors with long wings and weak legs which spend a great deal of time soaring. Most feed mainly on carrion but some take various amounts of live prey.They are birds of prey which, along with hawks and eagles, are from the family Accipitridae....
s, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s and harrier
Harrier (bird)
A harrier is any of the several species of diurnal hawks forming the Circinae sub-family of the Accipitridae family of birds of prey. Harriers characteristically hunt by flying low over open ground, feeding on small mammals, reptiles, or birds....
s. It is the only member of the genus Urotriorchis.
This hawk inhabits the tropical rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
s of western
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
and central Africa
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
. It has a wingspan of 81–90 cm (31.9–35.4 in) and a total length of 56–65 cm (22–25.6 in), including the tail of 30–37 cm (11.8–14.6 in). Females are about 15% larger than males. Since the tail comprises about 56% of this raptor's total length, this species ties with the Cinereous Harrier
Cinereous Harrier
The Cinereous Harrier is a South American bird of prey of the harrier family. Its breeding range extends from the Tierra del Fuego through Argentina and Chile to Bolivia, Paraguay and southern Brasil; and across the Andes north to Colombia.The term cinereous describes its colouration...
as the raptor with the longest tail relative to its body size.
The Long-tailed Hawk primarily eats squirrels and small birds; it can also hunt chickens in the villages close to the forest. It kills prey by breaking the neck.
The mating season occurs in July and August, when the pair build a nest on a high tree. Little is known regarding nesting and breeding the young.
Etymology
"Uro-" is from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
"tail", and "triorchis" meant a kind of hawk thought to have three testicle
Testicle
The testicle is the male gonad in animals. Like the ovaries to which they are homologous, testes are components of both the reproductive system and the endocrine system...
s—for further details see Eutriorchis. "Macro-" is from the Greek for "long", so macrourus means "long-tailed", as in the English name.