Lizard hawk

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Lizard hawk
Lizard Hawk (Accipiter francesiae)

Lizard Hawk ( Accipiter francesiae )

Systematics
Class : Birds (aves)
Order : Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family : Hawk species (Accipitridae)
Genre : Hawks and sparrowhawks ( Accipiter )
Type : Lizard hawk
Scientific name
Accipiter francesiae
A. Smith , 1834

The lizard hawk ( Accipiter francesiae , syn .: Accipiter francesii ) is a bird of prey from the genus of the hawks and sparrowhawks ( Accipiter ). It occurs with four subspecies in Madagascar and the Comoros . The type epithet honors Lady Frances Cole (1784–1847), wife of Sir Galbraith Lowry Cole , governor of the Cape Colony from 1828 to 1833.

features

The lizard hawk is one of the smaller species of the genus Accipiter . The body length is given with 21 to 29 centimeters, the wing span with 40 to 54 centimeters and the tail length with 10 to 16 centimeters. Males only reach 70 percent of the body size of females.

The male of the nominate form is characterized by a dark gray upper side and a lighter gray colored head. The gray tail has a blackish subterminal band. The underside is white with fine rust-brown to gray-brown banding on the chest and the upper flanks. In the flight image, the chest and armpits show a banding. The wing edge is solid white. Females are brown on top; the tail shows narrow dark brown bands on a brown background, a broad dark brown subterminal band and a narrow white end band. The underside is closely banded reddish brown on a white background.

The eyes, wax skin and legs are more or less yellow. The male's eye color is orange. In juvenile birds, the wax skin and legs are light and more greenish.

Vocalizations

The call is a high-pitched " kii-kii-kii " or " quit-quit-quit-quit " and has similarities with the call of the Afrikahabicht ( Accipiter tachiro ).

habitat

The lizard hawk was originally a forest dweller. However, it was able to adapt to the changes in the habitats in Madagascar by humans and today also inhabits degraded forests and secondary forests, forest savannas, bushland, cultivated land with few trees, parks, large gardens as well as coffee, cocoa, coconut, sisal and Orchards. In the Comoros it also breeds in mangroves. It can be found at altitudes from sea level to 2,000 meters.

Reproduction

Lizard hawks can also be observed in pairs outside of the breeding season. The breeding season is between September and February. The relatively large nest is built from twigs and padded with leaves. The clutch consists of three to five eggs. Information on the incubation period, the number of nestlings and the nestling time is not yet available.

food

The lizard goshawk feeds primarily on reptiles , especially chameleons , as well as large insects, including grasshoppers and beetles. It also occasionally preyes on amphibians, small birds and rodents. In contrast to many species of the genus, it hunts almost exclusively from free-standing hides, which is often done using posts or dead branches. The couples sometimes cooperate in the hunt.

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized:

  • The nominate form A. f. francesiae is common in Madagascar .
  • The distribution area of A. f. brutus is the Comoros island of Mayotte . The subspecies is significantly smaller than the nominate form. It resembles the nominate form female in both sexes. The top is vivid brown. The hood and neck are gray and the cheeks are light brown. The underside is white with pronounced rust-brown banding on the chest.
  • A. f. griveaudi occurs on Grande Comore . The taxon is smaller than the nominate form. Both sexes look similar to the male of the nominate form; the breast, however, is washed out salmon pink and dashed faintly worm-shaped. The tail shows four dark bands.
  • The Anjouan Sparrowhawk ( A. f. Pusillus ) is endemic to Anjouan and was only detected again in the 1980s after a sighting in 1958. He is just as small as A. f. brutus and resembles the male of the nominate form in both sexes. The underside is white and the sides of the chest are gray.

Existence and endangerment

There is no reliable information on the size of the world population, Ferguson-Lees & Christie assume a total population of just under 100,000 birds. The IUCN classifies the species as safe for 2008 ( "least concern" ).

nomenclature

The lizard hawk was described by Andrew Smith in 1834 as Accipiter francesii . Since the name francesii is male, but the species name refers to a female, the name had to be changed to francesiae according to the ICZN .

swell

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ J. Ferguson-Lees, DA Christie: Raptors of the World. Christopher Helm, London, 2001. ISBN 0-7136-8026-1 : p. 535