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Project Noah Nature School
Polyboroides typus
The African Harrier-Hawk is a medium-sized raptor. The upperparts, head and breast are pale grey. The belly is white with fine dark barring. The broad wings are pale grey with a black trailing edge fringed with a narrow white line. The tail is black with a single broad white band. The head is small,distinctive and pointy, with a patch of naked yellow skin on the face which flushes red when the bird is excited. On the top of the head is a crest of feathers, which may be raised or lowered. Genders are similar, but young birds have pale brown instead of grey, and dark brown replacing black. Adult plumage is not attained until about the third year.
This bird was sitting quite high up in a tree, scouting over the terrain. It was close to a river (with water, despite dry period), quite close to Komatiepoort gate in Kruger National Park. (http://birding.krugerpark.co.za/best-bir...)
An unusual trait of this species is the double-jointed knees it possesses, which enable it to reach into otherwise inaccessible holes and cracks for prey. A comparable leg-structure and behavior can be found in the Neotropical Crane Hawk; a case of convergent evolution. The diet of the African harrier-hawk is quite varied, and includes small mammals such as rodents and bats, as well as birds, eggs and nestlings, lizards, amphibians and insects. It may also occasionally take stranded fish or carrion, and in West Africa often feeds on oil-palm fruits. The African harrier-hawk is notable for its habit of actively searching for prey in trees, nests, rock faces, and from underneath objects on the ground. It can often be seen clambering about and hanging from tree limbs, running up tree trunks with wings flapping, or hanging from foliage or birds’ nests as it searches for food
Glad to see it's all sorted out :-) Great series Tiz by the way. This spotting really illustrates how multiple pics can be crucial for identification.
Thanks everyone for the commitment, and a special thanks to Daniele for leading us towards the right direction of an ID. You are great, all of you!!!
Yes Malcolm, you are right. It should be a young one, this shows the change of the plumage, http://www.treknature.com/gallery/Africa...
My book shows immature is brown and adult is blue-grey. This one looks between the two so maybe moulting into adult plumage. Just my guess.
Excellent links, and the features seems very similar. I have it in my Kruger bird folder as well! It looks a bit funny with that "plume" in my pics, not at all "hawk-like". Even if mine is more brown-ish, I think that the black parts (wing-tip) are visible... I will continue tomorrow as well! Have a great evening all!
It fits but the color on these photos is brown and not gray like the African Harrier Hawk but Tina should check that part.
I would definitely agree with the African Harrier Hawk Daniele, it looks spot on to me.
http://ibc.lynxeds.com/photo/african-har...
Check it out... it's past my bedtime. I hope the mystery is solved by the time I wake-up :-)
Yes the beak and face fit better to the African Harrier Hawk but not the rest of the body.
And I was thinking.... Hooded vulture with a toupee :D Thank you all for the support!
My suggestion is a wild guess but possible for the location. I'm not entirely happy with the beak's shape...
Body plumage looks like a Lizard Buzzard but the head isn't, it looks Vulture. I don't see the body plumage on either the Eagle or the Vulture. Will keep looking.
No Malcolm this is not the crowned eagle, i'm wrong...sorry but those feathers on the head and breast part reminded me of the crowned eagle but it's not for sure.
Wouw that's an amazing bird. At first reminded me of Crowned Eagle so must be that, please check this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crowned_Eag... . Amazing spotting!
Spotted on Jul 21, 2013
Submitted on Jul 21, 2013
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