Whitebrow consecration

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Whitebrow consecration
White-browed harrier, male

White-browed harrier, male

Systematics
Subclass : New-jawed birds (Neognathae)
Order : Birds of prey (Accipitriformes)
Family : Hawk species (Accipitridae)
Subfamily : Consecrations (Circinae)
Genre : Consecration ( circus )
Type : Whitebrow consecration
Scientific name
Circus Buffoni
( Gmelin , 1788)
Females, dark colored morphs
On the right a white-browed harrier, light colored morphs and on the left a bronze lapwing
Dark white-browed harrier morph in flight
Whitebrow consecration

The white- browed consecration ( Circus buffoni ) is a type of consecration that is widespread in South America.

The IUCN specifies that the white brow consecration is not at risk ( least concern ). No subspecies are distinguished, but there are two color morphs.

Appearance

Dimensions and feathered body parts

The white brow harrier reaches a body length of 46 to 60 centimeters, of which 24.5 to 26 centimeters are on the tail. The wings have a length of 37 to 48 centimeters. The wingspan is 119 to 155 centimeters. The weight of the males is between 390 and 464 grams, the females weigh between 400 and 645 grams. The eyes of adult males are yellow, while those of adult females are reddish brown. The beak is blue-gray. The legs and feet are pale yellow to orange-yellow. There is a noticeable gender dimorphism .

Bright color morphs

The males of the light color morphs are dark slate gray on the upper side of the body and the chest. The forehead, the stripes above the eyes, the front cheeks and the throat are white. The eyes are framed by a black feather ring, white feather strokes emphasize the dark face disc. The wing covers and the tail are predominantly silver gray with white feather tips on the tail plumage and black transverse bands on the rest of the plumage. The chest and belly are white with individual small black spots.

The females have a similar plumage, but the slate-gray areas are a little more brown.

Dark color morphs

The plumage of the dark color morphs is predominantly soot-black to dark chestnut brown. Individual individuals are a little more brown on the underside of the body. In these, the thighs and occasionally the rump are more intense chestnut brown. The tail plumage of this color morph is also silver-gray.

Distribution area

The white brow consecration occurs from Colombia to Guyana and French Guiana as well as Trinidad . In the south the distribution area extends to Brazil and Paraguay as well as Uruguay and the north and inland of Argentina . Non-breeding white-browed harriers are also found in Bolivia and the east of Panama . The migration behavior of the white-eyed harrier varies with the distribution area. In parts of the range, such as Suriname , they are migratory birds and in the entire north of the range, the population increases in the South American winter (April to September). Parts of the Argentine population are resident birds, while others migrate to Tierra de Fuego in autumn .

The habitat of the white brow harrier are extensive marshes and small lagoons with extensive bank vegetation, but also rice fields, wet grassland and open agricultural areas. The altitude distribution ranges from the lowlands to altitudes of 1000 meters. Most of the population lives at altitudes below 700 meters.

Way of life

The white-eyed harrier usually lives solitary or in pairs. However, in regions where population numbers are high, four to six individuals can occasionally be seen in the air at the same time. In these regions they nest more often closer together, the nest distance is sometimes only 100 meters.

The diet consists mainly of frogs, small mammals such as guinea pigs and bound water birds such as moorhens , and coots . They also eat eggs and lizards. Occasionally, they also target eggs and young birds in heron colonies. They usually find their prey in a low search flight. The flight altitude is often less than 3 meters.

Reproduction

The breeding season falls in the interior of Argentina in the months of September to January. The handing over of food from the male to the breeding or rowing female, which takes place in the air as in many consecrations, is observed in Suriname in the months of December to January.

The nest is a platform made of reeds and grasses with a diameter of 40 to 65 centimeters. The height of the platform depends on the location. In the dry grassland, the platform is often only 10 to 30 centimeters high. In reed belts, however, the platform can be up to three meters high. Clutches with three or four eggs are typical. The breeding season and the nestling season are not yet known.

literature

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

Web links

Commons : Weißbrauenweihe  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Ferguson-Lees & Christie: Raptors of the World. P. 507.
  2. a b Handbook of the Birds of the World for the White Brow Consecration, accessed on June 8, 2017.
  3. ^ A b c Ferguson-Lees & Christie: Raptors of the World. P. 508.