Tricolor consecration

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tricolor consecration
Black Baza.jpg

Dreificolorweih ( Aviceda leuphotes )

Systematics
Order : Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family : Hawk species (Accipitridae)
Subfamily : Honey buzzards (Perninae)
Genre : Crested Buzzards ( Aviceda )
Type : Tricolor consecration
Scientific name
Aviceda leuphotes
( Dumont , 1820)
In flight, the three-colored harrier looks more like a raven than a bird of prey. Some arm wings are missing from this example.

The three-color harrier ( Aviceda leuphotes ) is a relatively small bird of prey from the subfamily of the honey buzzards (Perninae), which is native to large parts of southern, southeastern and eastern Asia. The black, white and chestnut-brown patterned species mainly feeds on large insects and colonizes open areas in the deciduous forests of the hill country.

description

With a body length of 28 to 35 cm and a wingspan of 64 to 80 cm, the three-colored Weih is about the same size as a male sparrowhawk , but more long-winged and stronger. The weight is between 168 and 224 g. On the pigeon-like head there is a long feather bonnet, which is often raised or moved up and down when sitting, but is put on when in flight. When flying, the species looks black and white and more like a raven than a bird of prey. There is therefore a greater risk of confusion with the crested jay or the mourning magpie ( Platysmurus leucopterus ) than with other birds of prey. The flight is slow with crow-like wing flaps and short glide phases. The sexes are very similar, they hardly differ in size. In females, the white portion of the arm swing may be less.

Adult three-color harriers are predominantly black with a metallic sheen. The iris is purple to red-brown, the wax skin dark bluish-gray. On the lower back, the shoulder feathers and the inner large arm covers there are white feather centers with variable maroon edges and on the arm wings there are extensive maroon or maroon-white windows. Under the black throat, the breast is bib-shaped and white, a variable black or chestnut-brown stripe separates this area from the beige to light reddish-beige abdominal sides and flanks, which are marked with reddish-brown, partly black-edged cross bars. The middle of the abdomen and the lower legs are black. The short legs and feet are blackish gray to bluish black. The underside of the wings are white with black tips, the wings are gray and the coverts are black; the control springs are gray on the underside with a silvery base.

The youth dress is similar to the adult dress, but the black areas are more matt and brownish and the hood is shorter. The feather centers on the back and wing-coverts are more extensive white, while the white portion on the arm wings is less. The throat and upper chest are dashed and the black chest band is narrower.

The species often sits very upright open in waiting or inconspicuously in leafy trees. Sometimes it stretches or hangs down. It is quite gregarious and can be found in pairs, family groups or small flocks of up to five birds. Associations and sleeping societies of 20 to 25 individuals form on the train. Apparently traditional sleeping places are used.

Geographic variation

Up to five subspecies are described, although the subdivision is partly based on very poor museum material. Some authors therefore regard the species as monotypical , while others only recognize three subspecies. Geographically varying features are the length of the hand wings, the color distribution of white and chestnut brown on the back, the width of the black chest band and the shape of the flank markings. However, the differences are very small, the individual variation is very high and an insufficiently known sexual dimorphism may only simulate the geographic variation.

  • A. l. wolfei Deignan , 1948 - Sichuan
  • A. l. syama ( Hodgson , 1837) - northern India eastward to southeastern China, possibly southern Myanmar and western Thailand, and perhaps also in Laos
  • A. l. leuphotes ( Dumont , 1820) - southwestern India and possibly Sri Lanka, southern Myanmar, and western Thailand
  • A. l. andamanica Abdulali & Grubh , 1970 - South Andaman Island

voice

The three-color consecration is very popular all year round. The one, two or three-syllable call is described as a soft, trilling and plaintive whistling and can be reminiscent of the calls of the black kite . A gull-like meow and a weak call, reminiscent of the calls of the black-faced caterpillar ( Coracina novaehollandiae ), are also put forward.

Distribution and existence

The distribution area of ​​the Dreifarbenweihs lies in the Orientalis and protrudes slightly into the southern Palearctic . The distribution ranges from eastern Nepal , Bhutan and northern Bangladesh through northeastern India to Myanmar and western Thailand and from there to southern China. Here the species occurs from Yunnan to Guandong and northwards to Guizhou and Sichuan . They are probably also found in northern Laos and in northern and possibly central Vietnam . Other deposits are in Kerala in southwest India, on South Andaman Island and in southern Hainan .

Little is known about the population and settlement densities. In their breeding areas, however, the species is mostly scattered or rarely found, while it occurs in large numbers on the migration and in the winter quarters. Since it is then quite conspicuous due to its sociability and the formation of larger flocks, while it behaves quite secretly during the breeding season, it can be that the breeding population is generally significantly underestimated. A five-digit population figure seems quite plausible, a six-digit one is probably unrealistic, as the habitats are no longer available in sufficient quantities due to increasing deforestation. The species is not considered threatened.

hikes

The three-colored Weih is mostly a stationary bird or a part-puller . However, birds from the eastern Himalayan region and China regularly migrate between October and December via the Malay Peninsula to Sumatra and western Java . The spring migration takes place between February and March. Winter guests are also occasionally found in southeastern India and Sri Lanka .

habitat

The Dreifarbenweih inhabits open areas, forest edges and larger clearings in deciduous and drier evergreen forests. This also includes bamboo and secondary forests . It can often be found on larger rivers and streams. The height distribution extends from the lowlands to heights of 1200, more rarely to at least 1500 m. The species is typically found in wooded hill country.

On the train, the species can also be found in mangrove forests , gardens and orchards, over rice fields and elsewhere in the cultural landscape.

nutrition

The Dreifarbenweih feeds mainly on large insects and their larvae. This includes mainly grasshoppers , but also beetles , ghosts and moths . Even lizards and tree frogs belong to the Food and occasionally bats and other small mammals and small birds like the Brown-throated Sunbird ( Anthrepetes malacensis ). In northeast India, 50% of the nestling food consisted of insect larvae.

The prey is usually captured from a high hide in short flights during which the bird sometimes stumbles into the thick foliage. In addition, prey is picked up from leaves in the canopy or caught on the ground. The species also hunts in small groups, especially in its winter quarters. Increased hunting activity is recorded at dawn and dusk or in overcast weather.

Reproduction

The breeding season is between February and July. It begins in March in India and Myanmar and in April in northeast India. The small, compact nests are usually more than 20 m high in tall trees, which are often found in forests near water. They are erected from twigs by both partners and reach 25–40 cm in diameter and 10–20 cm in height. The shallow nest hollow is lined with grass, fibers and fresh leaves. The clutch consists of 2-3 eggs and is incubated for 26-27 days. Both partners take part in the breeding business and the rearing of the young, but the largest proportion seems to go to the female. The young fly out after 29 days.

literature

Web links

Commons : Dreifarbenweih ( Aviceda leuphotes )  - collection of images, videos and audio files