The Gundlach's hawk (''Astur gundlachi'') is a species of

bird of prey Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as (although not the same as) raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively predation, hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and smaller birds). In addition to speed ...

in the family

Accipitridae The Accipitridae () is one of the four families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds of prey with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects ...

. It was formerly placed in the

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

'' Accipiter''. It is one of 21

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

bird species of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. The common name and Latin binomial commemorate the German-Cuban ornithologist Juan Cristobal Gundlach (1810–1896). It is threatened by

habitat loss Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

and human persecution.

Description

The hawk is a medium-sized forest raptor. It stands between in height and has a stocky body shape. The adult hawk has a dark bluish-gray upper body and wings, with a black head. The under body of the bird is a lighter color. It also has a striped tail that is rounded in flight. Immature hawks are mostly brown on the top and paler on the bottom, but with dark streaking down the body.BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Accipiter gundlachi. Compared to some other raptors of the genus Astur such as the

bicolored hawk The bicolored hawk (''Astur bicolor'') is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found in forest, woodland, second growth, plantations, and wooded savanna in southeastern Mexico, Central America, and northern and central Sou ...

and cooper's hawk, Gundlach's hawks are longer and faster.

Voice

Gundlach's hawks has two main calls the ''kek'' and the "squeal" which is usually associated with species of its type, '' Astur''. The vocalizations for these calls are different for the sexes with variations in pitch, tempo and length. The male call is softer, clearer, and shallower with a higher peak compared to the female who makes most of the calls and whose call is at a softer pitch.

Behavior

Breeding

Typically, Gundlach's hawk nests high up in trees in the forest, such as

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. ''World Flora Online'' accepts 134 species-rank taxa (119 species and 15 nothospecies) of pines as cu ...

s, at about an altitude of . Nesting high allows for hawks to prey on other birds that nest at much lower altitudes, along with the added benefit of protecting against nest predators. Nests are commonly made of smaller twigs from the trees that are found in the habitat.

Feeding

Gundlach's hawk feeds almost exclusively on birds. Because of the hawk's large feet, it can feed on the Cuban parrot, the Cuban parakeet, and the Cuban macaw (before its

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

). Other birds in its diet include doves and pigeons, quail, and

chicken The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domesticated subspecies of the red junglefowl (''Gallus gallus''), originally native to Southeast Asia. It was first domesticated around 8,000 years ago and is now one of the most common and w ...

.Reynard, George B., Lester L. Short, and Orlando H. Garrido. "Nesting, Voice, Status, And Relationships Of The Endemic Cuban Gundlach's Hawk (''Accipiter gundlachi'')." Wilson Bulletin 99.(1987): 73-77. General Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Oct. 2013.

Distribution and habitat

Gundlach's hawk is found only in

. At one point it was common to find them throughout the country, however, now they can only be found in five isolated areas. The bulk of the population exists primarily on the eastern half of the island, in the two larger population centers, with the other three smaller populations on the west side of the island. They are able to live in a variety of habitats up . These include humid, dry, and pine forests. It does not have highly specialized habitat preferences needing only forests to conceal its hunting approaches. 2010. Gundlach's Hawk (''Accipiter gundlachi''), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology Its natural

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, 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 manifestation of its ...

s are dry forests and lowland moist forests. The species was never a common sight, but its population was dispersed throughout

Status and conservation

Gundlach's hawk has been classified as

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

since 1994, due to its small and fragmented

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

.BirdLife International 2012. ''Accipiter gundlachi''. In: IUCN 2013. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.1. . The past five years however, has shown a stabilization in the hawk's population trends. Population totals in Cuba were estimated to be about 400, including 270 mature hawks. This may warrant Gundlach's hawks to be reclassified as vulnerable. The stabilization of the population may be attributed to conservation efforts bringing awareness to the hawk and its struggles. These conservation efforts include public campaigning of Gundlach's hawk, to improve education and awareness of the hawk and its environmental needs. Additional surveys of Cuba to assess current population and trends of Gundlach's hawk are required to determine the condition of the hawk in regards to extinction.

Threats

Gundlach's hawk faces a loss of habitat due to

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

and logging in Cuba. It not only relies on trees for nesting but also for concealment as they prey on other birds. In addition to the loss of habitat the hawk also faces persecution from farmers because of its liking for poultry.

References

External links

BirdLife Species Factsheet.Global Raptor Information Network. 2013. Species account: Gundlach's Hawk Accipiter gundlachi
*Reynard, George B., Lester L. Short, and Orlando H. Garrido. "Nesting, Voice, Status, And Relationships Of The Endemic Cuban Gundlach's Hawk (Accipiter Gundlachi)." Wilson Bulletin 99.(1987): 73–77. General Science Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 24 Oct. 2013. *Rodrigues Santana, F. Status, Distribution, Habitat Requirements, and Conservation of Gundlach's Hawk in Cuba. Journal of Ornithology, Aug 1, 2006, Vol. 1, Issue 5, p. 239-239. Web of Science. {{Taxonbar, from=Q114429 Astur Endemic birds of Cuba Birds described in 1860 Taxa named by Juan Gundlach Taxonomy articles created by Polbot