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Harrier Hawk

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Birds

                  iHarrier Hawk

                             Conservation status

   Least Concern (LC)
            Scientific classification

   Kingdom: Animalia
   Phylum:  Chordata
   Class:   Aves
   Order:   Accipitriformes
   Family:  Accipitridae
   Genus:   Polyboroides
   Species: P. typus

                                Binomial name

   Polyboroides typus
   Smith, 1829
   Juvenile.
   Enlarge
   Juvenile.

   The Harrier Hawk, African Harrier Hawk or Gymnogene (Polyboroides
   typus) is a bird of prey. It is about 60-66cm in length, and is related
   to the harriers. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara.

   Its habitat is woodland preferably with palm trees and often near
   water. It builds a stick nest in the fork of a tree or the crown of a
   palm tree. The clutch is one to three eggs.

   The 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.
   There is a bare facial patch of variable colour. Sexes are similar, but
   young birds have pale brown instead grey, and dark brown replacing
   black.

   The Harrier Hawk is omnivorous, eating the fruit of the Oil Palm as
   well as hunting vertebrates. Its ability to climb, using wings as well
   as feet, and its long double-jointed legs, enable this bird to raid the
   hole nests of barbets and woodhoopoes for fledglings. The call is a
   whistled sueee-sueee-sueee.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrier_Hawk"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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