Slender-billed kite

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Slender-billed kite
Helicolestes hamatus - Slender-billed kite, Careiro da Varzea, Amazonas, Brazil.jpg
A juvenile slender-billed kite at Careiro da Várzea, Amazonas state, Brazil
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Accipitriformes
Family: Accipitridae
Genus: Helicolestes
Bangs & Penard, 1918
Species:
H. hamatus
Binomial name
Helicolestes hamatus
(Temminck, 1821)
Helicolestes hamatus map.svg
Synonyms

Rostrhamus hamatus

The slender-billed kite (Helicolestes hamatus) is a South American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found along a scattered range in forested parts of tropical northern and central South America, and far eastern Panama. [2] The species was recategorized into and has once again been removed from the genus Rostrhamus.

Contents

Description

The slender-billed kite is a slaty gray kite with broad, rounded wings and a short, square tail. The species ranges from 36 to 41 centimeters in length and possesses a wingspan of 80-90 centimeters. There is no sexual plumage dimorphism within the species; however, females tend to be larger than the males, weighing between 367 and 485 grams while males weigh between 377 and 448 grams. Their characteristically sharp black beak is hooked, matched by sharp, black talons. Their eyes are yellowish, and their face and legs are orange-red. Juveniles resemble adults, but have brownish eyes and three narrow white bands in the tail. [3]

Both genders resemble the male snail kite, and the slender-billed kite has often been included in the same genus, Rostrhamus. Adults are distinguished by their yellow, rather than red, eyes and a noticeably shorter tail. [3] Other differences are found in shorter wings and more slender beaks. Nestling slender-billed kites sport a more similar plumage to their adult form than the nestlings of snail kites to theirs. [4]

Their primary call is a nasal kee-ee-aay-aay-aay that begins with a sharp increase in frequency followed by a steady decline. This call is often heard in-flight or in response to predators. Their second call is a repeating ker-ah with oscillating frequency (sometimes followed by repeating ah-ahs) heard as they approach their mate in the nest. [5]

Diet

The characteristic slender bill of the slender-billed kite is an adaptation designed to hunt aquatic snails, mostly of genus Pomacea , in flooded forests and other wetland areas. Though their primary food source is snails, they will hunt for crabs, such as Poppiana dentata. [6] They perch on low branches to search for prey before diving and snatching the snails in their talons. Upon catching their prey, they will hold the snail in their talon and use their hooked beak to remove the operculum and pull the body from the shell. Like the snail kite, slender-billed kites remove the digestive tract from the snail before consuming it, but it is unknown if they similarly remove the albumen. Slender-billed kites tend to hunt for smaller snails than do snail kites. [5]

Breeding

Slender-billed kites nest in trees from 9-20 meters in areas that flood during wet seasons. They commonly nest from June to October, and the nesting period lasts between 98 and 112 days. Typically, two eggs are laid, and the incubation period lasts 30 days. Young can stand at two weeks of age and successfully fly by 40 days. Until 7 weeks of age, the chicks are fed pieces of snail from bill-to-bill by the parent. Males court females by presenting them with snails and feeding them bill-to-bill, leaving and return with more snails until the female accepts the courtship. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accipitridae</span> Family of birds of prey

The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-sized mammals, with a number feeding on carrion and a few feeding on fruit. The Accipitridae have a cosmopolitan distribution, being found on all the world's continents and a number of oceanic island groups. Some species are migratory. The family contains 255 species which are divided into 70 genera.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loggerhead shrike</span> Species of bird

The loggerhead shrike is a passerine bird in the family Laniidae. It is the only member of the shrike family endemic to North America; the related northern shrike occurs north of its range, however it is also found in Siberia. It is nicknamed the butcherbird after its carnivorous tendencies, as it consumes prey such as amphibians, insects, lizards, small mammals and small birds, and some prey end up displayed and stored at a site, for example in a tree. Due to its small size and weak talons, this predatory bird relies on impaling its prey upon thorns or barbed wire for facilitated consumption. The numbers of loggerhead shrike have significantly decreased in recent years, especially in Midwestern, New England and Mid-Atlantic areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-shouldered kite</span> Small raptor found in Australia

The black-shouldered kite, also known as the Australian black-shouldered kite, is a small bird of prey found in open habitats throughout Australia. It resembles similar species found in Africa, Eurasia and North America, including the black-winged kite, a species that has in the past also been called "black-shouldered kite". Measuring around 35 cm (14 in) in length, with a wingspan of 80–100 cm (31–39 in), the adult black-shouldered kite has predominantly grey-white plumage and prominent black markings above its red eyes. It gains its name from the black patches on its wings. The primary call is a clear whistle, uttered in flight and while hovering. It can be confused with the related letter-winged kite in Australia, which is distinguished by the striking black markings under its wings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough-legged buzzard</span> Species of bird

The rough-legged buzzard (Europe) or rough-legged hawk (Buteo lagopus) is a medium-large bird of prey. It is found in Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America, Europe, and Russia during the breeding season and migrates south for the winter. It was traditionally also known as the rough-legged falcon in such works as John James Audubon's The Birds of America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snail kite</span> Species of bird

The snail kite is a bird of prey within the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles, hawks, and Old World vultures. Its relative, the slender-billed kite, is now again placed in Helicolestes, making the genus Rostrhamus monotypic. Usually, it is placed in the milvine kites, but the validity of that grouping is under investigation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steller's sea eagle</span> Species of bird (Haliaeetus pelagicus)

Steller's sea eagle, also known as Pacific sea eagle or white-shouldered eagle, is a very large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It was described first by Peter Simon Pallas in 1811. No subspecies are recognised. A sturdy eagle, it has dark brown plumage with white wings and tail, a yellow beak, and yellow talons. Typically, it is the heaviest eagle in the world, at about 5 to 10 kg, but in some standard measurements, may be ranked below the harpy eagle and the Philippine eagle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Square-tailed kite</span> Species of bird

The square-tailed kite is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as kites, eagles and harriers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Letter-winged kite</span> Raptor native to Australia

The letter-winged kite is a small, rare and irruptive bird of prey that is found only in Australia. Measuring around 35 cm (14 in) in length with a wingspan of 84–100 cm (33–39 in), the adult letter-winged kite has predominantly pale grey and white plumage and prominent black rings around its red eyes. It gains its name from the highly distinctive black underwing pattern of a shallow 'M' or 'W' shape, seen when in flight. This distinguishes it from the otherwise similar black-shouldered kite. This species is also the only nocturnal species within the order Accipitriformes despite few differences found in its visual anatomy to other closely related kites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous-breasted sparrowhawk</span> Species of bird

The rufous-breasted sparrowhawk, also known as the rufous-chested sparrowhawk and as the red-breasted sparrowhawk, is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black-collared hawk</span> Species of bird

The black-collared hawk is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is monotypic within the genus Busarellus. It has a widespread range of presence, from western Mexico to Uruguay. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical swamps, and swamps.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2020). "Helicolestes hamatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T22695051A168789511. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22695051A168789511.en . Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Slender-billed Kite - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
  3. 1 2 Haverschmidt, F. (1959). "Notes on Helicolestes hamatus in Surinam". The Auk. 76 (1): 32–36. doi:10.2307/4081840. ISSN   0004-8038. JSTOR   4081840.
  4. ↑ Dean., Amadon (1964). Taxonomic notes on birds of prey. American Museum of Natural History. OCLC   6969592.
  5. 1 2 3 Beissinger, Steven R.; Thomas, Betsy Trent; Strahl, Stuart D. (1988). "Vocalizations, Food Habits, and Nesting Biology of the Slender-Billed Kite with Comparisons to the Snail Kite". The Wilson Bulletin. 100 (4): 604–616. ISSN   0043-5643. JSTOR   4162647.
  6. ↑ Ferguson-Lees, J. & Christie, D.A. & Franklin, K. & Mead, D. & Burton, P.. (2001). Raptors of the world. Helm Identification Guides.


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