Madagascar harrier-hawk

Species of bird

Madagascar harrier-hawk

near Mahaboboka
in the Anjajavy Forest

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Aves
Order:  | Accipitriformes
Family:  | Accipitridae
Genus:  | Polyboroides
Species:  |

P. radiatus

Binomial name
Polyboroides radiatus

(Scopoli, 1786)

The Madagascar harrier-hawk (Polyboroides radiatus) is a medium-sized species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, endemic to Madagascar.

## Description

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The Madagascar harrier-hawk is a medium-sized raptor with long and broad wings which when folded almost reach to the tip of the tail. It has a black tail with a single broad grey band bisecting the black half way along its length. Adult birds are grey above with blackish flight feathers. The underparts are white with dense dark barring on the breast, belly and underwing coverts while the upper breast and throat are the same colour as the upperparts and form a grey hood, broken by the yellow face. The bill is yellow with a black tip and the legs are yellow.[2]

## Distribution

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The Madagascar harrier-hawk is quite widespread and common, albeit in small numbers, in most regions of Madagascar but it is scarce on the deforested central plateau. It can be found from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) altitude.[3]

## Habitat

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The Madagascar harrier-hawk occurs in a variety of habitats but seems to favour undisturbed lowland rainforest.[4] It has also been recorded from montane rainforest, spiny desert scrub, degraded forests and other wooded habitats, including plantations of exotic trees.[3]

## Habits

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The nest of the Madagascar harrier-hawk is a large, bulky structure which is constructed using sticks and situated approximately 18–30 m (59–98 ft) above the ground within the canopy of a tree.[4] Nesting has been observed the months of September, October, and November.[3] The eggs are brooded by both sexes and hatch asynchronously, with the older sibling often killing its younger brood mates. Fledging takes about seven weeks.[4] On at least one occasion a nest was found within a colony of Sakalava weavers.[3]

The Madagascar harrier-hawk has a varied diet and has been recorded eating small birds, rodents, reptiles, insects, small lemurs. Like the African harrier-hawk they possess the unusual morphological adaptation of having an intertarsal joint that allows their legs to flex backwards and forwards. This means that they can use their feet to probe and remove prey from hidden sites such as holes in tree trunks, weaver nests and rock crevices where they can extract nestling birds from such normally inaccessible places.[3][4]

## Taxonomic notes

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The Madagascar harrier-hawk forms a superspecies with the African harrier-hawk and has been regarded by some authorities as a subspecies of that species. However, if that is the case then the combined species would be called P. radiatus as this name has priority.[3]

## Gallery

[edit]

* Near Mahaboboka

* Near Mahaboboka

* Near Mahaboboka

* Showing striated underside of wing

## References

[edit]

1. ^ BirdLife International (2016). "Polyboroides radiatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T22695415A93508513. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22695415A93508513.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
2. ^ Kemp, Alan; Kemp, Meg (1998). SASOL Birds of Prey of Africa and its Islands. New Holland. pp. 130–131\. ISBN 1-85974-100-2.
3. ^ a b c d e f "Madagascar Harrier-hawk Polyboroides radiatus". The Peregrine Fund. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
4. ^ a b c d "Madagascar Harrier-Hawk (Polyboroides radiatus)". Planet of Birds. Archived from the original on 26 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.

## External links

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* Media related to Polyboroides radiatus at Wikimedia Commons
* Data related to Polyboroides radiatus at Wikispecies

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Vultures

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Chordata
* Class: Aves

Cathartidae (New World vultures)

| Cathartes|

* Turkey vulture (Cathartes aura)
* Lesser yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes burrovianus)
* Greater yellow-headed vulture (Cathartes melambrotus)

|

Coragyps|

* Black vulture (Coragyps atratus)

Sarcoramphus|

* King vulture (Sarcoramphus papa)

Gymnogyps|

* California condor (Gymnogyps californianus)

Vultur|

* Andean condor (Vultur gryphus)

Aegypiinae and Gypinae (Old World vultures)

| Aegypius|

* Cinereous vulture (Aegypius monachus)

|

Gypaetus|

* Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus)

Gypohierax|

* Palm-nut vulture (Gypohierax angolensis)

Gyps|

* White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
* Himalayan vulture (Gyps himalayensis)
* White-backed vulture (Gyps africanus)
* Rüppell's vulture (Gyps rueppellii)
* Griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus)
* Indian vulture (Gyps indicus)
* Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris)
* Cape vulture (Gyps coprothere)

Necrosyrtes|

* Hooded vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus)

Neophron|

* Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Sarcogyps|

* Red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvus)

Torgos|

* Lappet-faced vulture (Torgos tracheliotos)

Trigonoceps|

* White-headed vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis)

Related topics

* Diclofenac
* Indian vulture crisis

Taxon identifiers

Polyboroides radiatus|

* Wikidata: Q304153
* Wikispecies: Polyboroides radiatus
* ADW: Polyboroides_radiatus
* Avibase: 0513AFBFAE8D3D3C
* BirdLife: 22695415
* BOW: mahhaw1
* CoL: 4L2GK
* eBird: mahhaw1
* EoL: 1047582
* GBIF: 2480660
* iNaturalist: 5247
* IRMNG: 10722804
* ITIS: 175514
* IUCN: 22695415
* NCBI: 8973
* Open Tree of Life: 837578
* Species+: 7738
* Xeno-canto: Polyboroides-radiatus

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