Long-tailed hawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Long-tailed hawk |
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The long-tailed hawk (Urotriorchis macrourus) is a fascinating bird of prey that lives in Africa. It belongs to the Accipitridae family, which includes many hawks and eagles. This hawk is special because it's the only member of its group, called Urotriorchis. It's famous for its incredibly long tail!
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Meet the Long-Tailed Hawk: What It Looks Like
The long-tailed hawk has a very unique look. It has a super long tail with cool stripes. The top part of its body is dark grey. Its belly is a warm chestnut color, and it has a bright white throat. The feathers under its tail are also white. When it flies, you can see its white wing feathers with dark grey stripes.
There's also a rare version of this hawk. This one has a grey chest and a lighter grey throat. But it still has the white feathers under its tail. The hawk's beak is black, and its eyes, nose area (called a cere), legs, and feet are yellow.
Young long-tailed hawks look a bit different. They are browner than the adults. Some young hawks have a plain white chest. Others have brown streaks on their chest.
Size of the Long-Tailed Hawk
This hawk has a wingspan of about 81 to 90 centimeters (32 to 35 inches). Its total length, from head to the tip of its tail, is about 56 to 65 centimeters (22 to 26 inches). A big part of that length is its tail, which can be 30 to 37 centimeters (12 to 15 inches) long! Females are usually about 15% bigger than males. The tail makes up more than half of the hawk's total length. This makes it one of the birds of prey with the longest tail compared to its body size.
Voice of the Hawk
The long-tailed hawk is quite a noisy bird. You can often hear it before you see it. It makes a long, drawn-out screech. This sound usually comes from birds sitting high up in the trees.
Where the Long-Tailed Hawk Lives
The long-tailed hawk lives in the tropical rainforests of western and central Africa. You can find it from Guinea in the west, all along the Gulf of Guinea coast. Its home extends south to northern Angola. It also lives east to the southern Central African Republic, northern Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and western Uganda.
Hunting and Diet
The long-tailed hawk mainly eats squirrels, especially scaly-tailed squirrels. It also hunts small birds. Sometimes, it might even catch chickens near forest villages. This hawk is known for its strong grip and quick movements to catch its meals. It has also been seen attacking fruit bats. Its powerful legs and feet suggest that mammals are a big part of its diet.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
The mating season for long-tailed hawks happens in July and August. During this time, a pair of hawks will build a nest high up in a tree. Not much is known about their nesting habits or how they raise their young. However, an adult hawk was once seen feeding a young hawk that had just learned to fly in Sierra Leone in August.
