White-necked Hawk

The white-necked hawk (''Buteogallus lacernulatus'') is a Vulnerable species of bird of prey in subfamily Accipitrinae, the "true" hawks, of family Accipitridae. It is endemic to Brazil.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022

Taxonomy and systematics

The white-necked hawk was for a time placed in genus ''Leucopternis'' but molecular studies placed it in ''Buteogallus''. A 2009 paper proposed the new monotypic genus ''Amadonastur'' for it but this treatment has not been accepted by worldwide taxonomic systems.Remsen, J. V., Jr., J. I. Areta, E. Bonaccorso, S. Claramunt, A. Jaramillo, D. F. Lane, J. F. Pacheco, M. B. Robbins, F. G. Stiles, and K. J. Zimmer. Version 24 July 2022. A classification of the bird species of South America. American Ornithological Society. https://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/SACCBaseline.htm retrieved July 24, 2022 The white-necked hawk is monotypic.

Description

The white-necked hawk is long with a wingspan. Males and females have the same plumage, though females are about 4% larger than males. Adults have a white head and underparts and black upperparts. Their tail is black with a wide white band in the middle. Their eye is brown or pale yellow and their legs and feed yellow. Immatures are similar to adults but with dark streaks on their crown and neck, brown tips on some upperparts feathers, and white barring on the black base of their tail.Bierregaard, R. O., G. M. Kirwan, and D. A. Christie (2020). White-necked Hawk (''Buteogallus lacernulatus''), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.whnhaw2.01 retrieved December 9, 2022

Distribution and habitat

The white-necked hawk is found discontinously in southeastern Brazil from Paraíba south to Paraná state; it might previously have occurred futher south in Santa Catarina state. It mostly inhabits dense primary Atlantic Forest but has been recorded in secondary forest. In elevation it generally ranges from sea level to at least and locally to in Minas Gerais.

Behavior

Movement

The white-necked hawk is generally sedentary but there is some evidence of wandering or dispersal from its usual habitat.

Feeding

The white-necked hawk takes its prey on the ground, dropping from a perch that may be as low as high. It is known to follow army ants and monkey troops to prey on what they flush. The data on its diet are inconclusive. Some authors believe that arthropods are its primary prey. Others maintain that it is more of a generalist with a diet of arthropods, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, birds, and snails.

Breeding

Nothing is known about the white-necked hawk's breeding biology.

Vocalization

As of late 2022 xeno-canto had only one recording of a white-necked hawk and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's Macaulay Library had three. Its vocalizations have not been transcribed.

Status

The IUCN originally assessed the white-necked hawk as Threatened but since 1994 has classed it as Vulnerable. It has a small, fragmented range and its estimated population of between 2500 and 10,000 mature individuals is believed to be decreasing. Its Atlantic Forest habitat has been much reduced in size and conversion to agriculture continues. It is also persecuted in the mistaken belief that it preys on domestic animals. It does occur in at least 10 protected areas but they are significant distances from each other with deforested areas between them.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q780340

white-necked hawk
Birds of the Atlantic Forest
Birds of Brazil
Endemic birds of Brazil
white-necked hawk
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot