Semicollared hawk facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Semicollared hawk |
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Microspizias
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| Species: |
collaris
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The semicollared hawk (Microspizias collaris) is a rare bird of prey. It belongs to the Accipitridae family, which includes hawks, eagles, and kites. You can find this special bird in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela. It lives in wet, tropical montane forests, which are forests found in mountains. Sadly, its home is shrinking because of habitat loss.
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About Its Name and Family
Scientists group animals into families and genera. The semicollared hawk used to be in a group called Accipiter. However, new studies, including looking at their DNA sequence, showed that it's actually more closely related to the tiny hawk. These two birds are now placed in a new genus called Microspizias.
The name Accipiter comes from Latin and means "hawk." The species name, collaris, also comes from Latin. It means "collar" or "neckband," which describes the white band on the hawk's neck.
What Does It Look Like?
This is a small, rare hawk that lives in forests. It has black feathers on its upper body. A white band goes across the back of its neck, like a collar. Its belly and chest are white. Sometimes, it has dark blotches on its sides. Young semicollared hawks look a bit more brownish. This hawk usually stays hidden in the forest. It mostly hunts smaller birds. Sometimes, you might see it soaring high in the sky.
When semicollared hawks talk to each other, they make a high-pitched sound. It almost sounds like a whistle. Some hawks have also been heard singing. Their song is a repeated mid-pitch vvt-vvt sound. It also includes a series of four quick, high-pitched calls that get higher and higher.
Where Do Semicollared Hawks Live?
Semicollared hawks do not migrate. This means they stay in the same area all year round.
They live in wet and humid mountain forests. You can find them at elevations between 600 and 2,200 meters (about 2,000 to 7,200 feet).
In Colombia, they are rarely seen. They are found in the Pacific slope and parts of the central and eastern Andes mountains.
In Ecuador, they are also rare. They live on the slopes of the Andes mountains. One hawk was seen in Otanga, which is near an area where many semicollared hawks have been recorded.
In Venezuela, there have only been a few sightings. They live in the humid mountain forests of the Andes in certain states. They are extremely scarce in this region.
Behavior
What Do They Eat?
We don't know much about what semicollared hawks eat. However, one male hawk in northern Colombia was found with bird feathers in its stomach. Another hawk was seen chasing Dusky Bush Tanagers in Ecuador. These observations suggest that semicollared hawks mostly, or only, eat other birds.
Life Cycle and Breeding
The average age for a semicollared hawk to become a parent is about 5.1 years. This is called their generation length.
Threats to Semicollared Hawks
The biggest threat to semicollared hawks is the loss of their forest homes. This is mainly due to agricultural expansion (farms growing bigger) and forestry (cutting down trees). While this problem doesn't seem to affect their numbers much right now, it could become a serious threat in the future.
