Madagascar cave consecration
| Madagascar cave consecration | ||||||||||||
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Madagascar Harrier ( Polyboroides radiatus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Polyboroides radiatus | ||||||||||||
| ( Scopoli , 1786) |
The Madagascar cave consecration ( Polyboroides radiatus ) is endemic to Madagascar occurring bird of prey from the family of Accipitridae (Accipitridae).
description
The Madagascar cave harrier reaches a size of 57 to 68 centimeters and a wingspan of 116 to 132 centimeters. The face is bare and has a yellowish to pinkish red wax skin. There is a hood at the back of the head, which makes the relatively small head appear larger. The plumage is lead gray to slate gray, the wings have some black spots on top, the tips of the wings are deep black. The control feathers show a wide white band in the middle and a narrow white end band on a black background. Belly, flanks, under tail coverts, the leg plumage and the under wing coverts are finely banded in gray and white (“ sparred ”). Males and females only differ in size, which is expressed in the length of the wing, which measures 384 to 415 millimeters for the females and 367 to 401 millimeters for the males. The long legs and feet are light yellow in color, the beak is black.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Madagascar cave harrier covers a very wide coastal strip around the entire island of Madagascar. However, it is absent in the central highlands. The main habitat are dense forests, banana plantations and the edges of wetlands and rice fields.
Way of life
The Madagascar cave harrier feeds extremely variable, for example on insects , lizards , snakes , geckos , chameleons , frogs as well as bird eggs, nestlings, adult birds, domestic chicken chicks, and occasionally also on the fruits of the oil palm . In addition, small mammals are preyed on, including: mice, rats, hedgehog treks , red flying foxes and species of lemurs . The foraging for food takes place mainly in a characteristic way: the birds check nest or cave openings with their heads or feet and then pull out any prey they find. Occasionally stones are turned on the ground.
The breeding season falls mainly in the month of October. The flat, bowl-shaped nest made up of twigs and leaves is mostly laid 10 to 32 meters above the ground in the fork of a high tree by the female and is usually equipped with two light brown eggs covered with reddish brown speckles. Sometimes the nests are used several times. About 61% of the 39 days are incubated by the female, the rest of the time by the male. Since cainism has often been observed within the first seven days after hatching , in most cases only one young will survive. Initially, the male alone provides food, while the female divides and feeds the prey. The young bird leaves the nest for the first time after approx. 50 days, but is still dependent on the parents for some time.
Danger
The Madagascar cave consecration is widespread in Madagascar and is only absent in the high altitudes in the center of the island and on the wasteland. It is therefore classified by the World Conservation Organization IUCN as 
“ least concern = not endangered”.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d A. C. Kemp & GM Kirwan (2017). Madagascar Harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus). In: J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, DA Christie & E. de Juana (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (viewed at http://www.hbw.com/node/53035 on April 2, 2017).
- ↑ occurrence
- ^ IUCN Red List
literature
- Josep del Hoyo , Andrew Elliott, Jordi Sargatal : Handbook of the Birds of the World, New World Vultures to Guineafowl. Volume 2, Lynx Edicions, 1994, ISBN 978-84-87334-15-3 .
Web links
- worldbirdnames - IOC World Bird List
- Madagascar Cave Harrier (Polyboroides radiatus) in the Encyclopedia of Life . Retrieved August 11, 2017.