The semiplumbeous hawk (''Leucopternis semiplumbeus'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...

, and

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is subtropical or tropical moist lowland

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Morphology

The semiplumbeous hawk is a small bird, averaging about in lengthHenderson, Carrol L. "Birds of Costa Rica." University of Texas Press, 2002 and 2010. pg 71 (approximately the size of a kestrel or merlin). It is dark gray above with white underparts and a white throat. The semiplumbeous hawk is easily identifiable due to its striking orange cere and black face mask.

Behavior, hunting, and diet

Semiplumbeous hawks are rarely seen in flight. Instead, these hawks typically perch silently on a high branch, waiting for prey. The semiplumbeous hawk often follows swarms of army ants in order to capture antbirds, which, along with other small songbirds, make up a large portion of its diet. It might also feed on lizards and snakes.

Population and research

The overall population of semiplumbeous hawks is small – estimated at 1,000 to 10,000 mature birds – and declining.BirdLife International 2009
Semiplumbeous Hawk Leucopternis semiplumbeus
at Birdlife.org. Like other members of its genus Leucopternis, it is very poorly known.

Gallery

File:LeucopternisSemiplumbeusSmit.jpg, Leucopternis semiplumbeus (1869), Joseph Smit File:Leucopternis semiplumbea -CR LaSelva fRF 01.jpg

References

External links

semiplumbeous hawk Birds of Nicaragua Birds of Costa Rica Birds of Panama Birds of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena semiplumbeous hawk Taxonomy articles created by Polbot {{Accipitriformes-stub