Long-tailed Hawk
| Long-tailed Hawk | |
|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Falconiformes (or Accipitriformes, q.v.) |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Urotriorchis Sharpe, 1874 |
| Species: | U. macrourus |
| Binomial name | |
| Urotriorchis macrourus (Hartlaub, 1855 | |
The Long-tailed Hawk (Urotriorchis macrourus) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers. It is the only member of the genus Urotriorchis.
This hawk inhabits the tropical rainforests of western and central Africa. It has a wingspan of 81–90 centimetres (32–35 in) and a total length of 56–65 centimetres (22–26 in), including the tail of 30–37 centimetres (12–15 in). Females are about 15% larger than males.Since the tail comprises about 56% of this raptor's total length, this species ties with the Cinereous Harrier as the raptor with the longest tail relative to its body size.
The Long-tailed Hawk primarily eats squirrels and small birds; it can also hunt chickens in the villages close to the forest. It kills prey by breaking the neck.
The mating season occurs in July and August, when the pair build a nest on a high tree. Little is known regarding nesting and breeding the young.
Etymology
"Uro-" is from the Greek "tail",and "triorchis" meant a kind of hawk thought to have threetesticles—for further details see Eutriorchis. "Macro-" is from the Greek for "long", so macrourusmeans "long-tailed", as in the English name.
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