![KmonogrammicusGambia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/KmonogrammicusGambia.jpg)
The lizard buzzard (''Kaupifalco monogrammicus'') or lizard hawk, is a
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predat ...
in the family
Accipitridae
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-s ...
. It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its name, it may be more closely related to the ''
Accipiter
''Accipiter'' is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. With 51 recognized species it is the most diverse genus in its family. Most species are called goshawks or sparrowhawks, although almost all New World species (excepting th ...
'' hawks than the ''
Buteo
''Buteo'' is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but " hawk" is used in the New World (Etymology: ''Buteo'' is the Latin na ...
'' buzzards.
Taxonomy
Molecular phylogenetic studies have revealed that the lizard buzzard is not closely related to ''
Buteo
''Buteo'' is a genus of medium to fairly large, wide-ranging raptors with a robust body and broad wings. In the Old World, members of this genus are called "buzzards", but " hawk" is used in the New World (Etymology: ''Buteo'' is the Latin na ...
'' buzzards but rather to ''
Accipiter
''Accipiter'' is a genus of birds of prey in the family Accipitridae. With 51 recognized species it is the most diverse genus in its family. Most species are called goshawks or sparrowhawks, although almost all New World species (excepting th ...
'' hawks. This extends to morphological associations, e.g. the lizard buzzard has pointed and fairly short wings.
Despite the lizard buzzard inhabiting Africa, phylogenetic evidence indicates that its closest relatives are the two ''
Microspizias
''Microspizias'' is a genus of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It contains the following species:
* Tiny hawk (''Microspizias superciliosus'')
* Semicollared hawk (''Microspizias collaris'')
Both species were formerly classified in the ...
'' hawks of
Central and
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the sout ...
.''
''
Description
The lizard buzzard is a smallish stocky raptor with a total body length of 35–37 cm and a wingspan of about 79 cm. Males weigh 246 g, females 304 g on average. The upperparts, head and breast are grey. There is a vertical black line on the white throat, which distinguishes this species from all other raptors. The belly is white with fine dark barring. The underwings are white with dark tips. The tail is black with a white tip and a single white band. The eyes are dark reddish brown to black. The cere and legs are red to orange red. Sexes are similar. The flight pattern is undulating like a thrush. The juvenile lizard buzzard resembles the adult, the only variations are slight brown tinge to the wings with an orange yellow cere and legs.
File:Boda madfallaod.jpg, ''K. monogrammicus'' in Uganda
File:Kaupifalco monogrammicus.jpg, ''K. monogrammicus'' in Saloum Delta National Park
Saloum Delta National Park or Parc National du Delta du Saloum in Senegal, is a national park. Established in 1976, it is situated within the Saloum Delta at the juncture of the Saloum River and the North Atlantic.
The park, which forms part of ...
in Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
File:Lizard buzzard (38130337692).jpg
Distribution and habitat
The lizard buzzard occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa from Eritrea to north eastern South Africa. It remains common in West Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north eastern areas of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
Its preferred habitat is moist dense savannah woodland especially miombo woodland, forest edges and wooded margins of rivers.
It is also found, especially in winter, in arid thornbush in savannah areas of East and Central Africa.
Ecology
Lizard buzzards are solitary and silent raptors, except for early in breeding season (September and October) when they produce a clear, distinct and melodious whistle ''klu-klu-klu''.
They remain locally resident and are dominant over intruders. There is very limited soaring flight, which only occurs during courtship displays or on rare non-breeding occasions in the late morning.
Lizzard buzzards hunt from perches, 6–10 m in height, and catch prey by swooping or gliding onto prey in the grass. They have a low attack rate, passively searching for prey which is energetically inexpensive but time-consuming.
They rarely catch prey in flight. They have shorter pointed wings (ratio of wing length to body height 0.76)
resulting in a more rapid flight in forests which suggests an adaptation to prey capture in dense vegetation.
Their diet consists of invertebrates, reptiles and mammals. By number most common prey are grasshoppers and termites, while by biomass rodents are the most frequent. Reptiles favoured are lizards especially ''Mabuya'' and ''Agama'' lizards, frogs and snakes.
Breeding
Breeding occurs during the months of September to November. Lizard buzzards are monogamous and form pair bonds that are protected or permanent.
Both sexes are involved in nest building which is small and compact, composed of sticks and found in the sub canopy of trees both indigenous and alien, often near the main trunk of the tree. The stick nest is lined with dry grass, green leaves or lichen.
Like other some other raptors, lizard buzzards are alternative nest users.
Although they prefer to build nests in the subcanopy, when they occupy an existing nest this can occur in the canopy above. Lizard buzzards will also compete with Shikras for available nests,
since these have a similar size, habitat preference and distribution.
The clutch size is 1-3 white eggs which is incubated by the female and takes 32–34 days before hatching.
During this time the male feeds the female and both feed the chicks for the next 40 days. Full independence of the chicks occurs at about 90 days.
Conservation
The range of lizard buzzards is extremely large and does not approach the threshold for vulnerable under range distribution. The population trend appears to be stable and does not approach thresholds for vulnerable. The population size is extremely large and for these reasons is evaluated as least concern. However, in Africa particularly West and Southern Africa there have been recorded dramatic declines in some raptors.
The reasons for raptor decline in Africa are rapid human population growth driving
overexploitation of the land causing
biodiversity loss
Biodiversity loss includes the worldwide extinction of different species, as well as the local reduction or loss of species in a certain habitat, resulting in a loss of biological diversity. The latter phenomenon can be temporary or permanent, de ...
and a decreased species richness.
The raptor population declines in West Africa have been linked to loss of woodland and nest sites, increased pesticide use, intensive cultivation especially cotton and disturbance of nests.
In Southern Africa raptor decline has been linked to use of poisons, powerline electrocutions,
habitat destruction
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced or dead, thereby ...
and raptor drowning in farm reservoirs.
Despite high human population and activity in Africa, not all raptor species have declined sharply. Some raptors, especially opportunistic generalists and migrants have increased. In West Africa the
grasshopper buzzard,
black kite
The black kite (''Milvus migrans'') is a medium-sized bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors. It is thought to be the world's most abundant species of Accipitridae, although some populations have ...
and
hooded vulture have increased in number and range.
Similarly in the Western Cape of South Africa, the
steppe buzzard,
lesser kestrel
The lesser kestrel (''Falco naumanni'') is a small falcon. This species breeds from the Mediterranean across Afghanistan and Central Asia, to China and Mongolia. It is a summer migrant, wintering in Africa and Pakistan and sometimes even to Indi ...
and
yellow-billed kite
The yellow-billed kite (''Milvus aegyptius'') is the Afrotropic counterpart of the black kite (''Milvus migrans''), of which it is most often considered a subspecies. However, DNA studies suggest that the yellow-billed kite differs significantly ...
have increased range and number.
Currently there is insufficient data on the Lizard Buzzard to determine its adaptation to human land usage. It is unclear how it has adapted to loss of Woodland its preferred habitat and nesting site. Its preferred prey insects, lizards and rodents remain common in most human altered landscapes which could account for its current survival.
References
External links
*
*
* Lizard buzzard
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1261504
Accipitridae
Birds of prey of Sub-Saharan Africa
lizard buzzard