Long-tailed honey-buzzard
| Long-tailed Honey-buzzard | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom Information | |
| Domain | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Subkingdom | Bilateria |
| Branch | Deuterostomia |
| Phylum Information | |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Sub-phylum | Vertebrata |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata |
| Class Information | |
| Superclass | Tetrapoda |
| Class | Aves |
| Sub-class | Neornithes |
| Infra-class | Neoaves |
| Order Information | |
| Order | Accipitriformes |
| Sub-order | Accipitres |
| Family Information | |
| Superfamily | Accipitroidea |
| Family | Accipitridae |
| Sub-family | Perninae |
| Genus Information | |
| Genus | Henicopernis |
| Species Information | |
| Species | H. longicauda |
| Population statistics | |
| Population | Unknown (2016 est.)[1] |
| Conservation status | Least concern[2] |
The long-tailed honey-buzzard (Henicopernis longicauda) is a species of bird of prey of the family Accipitridae, and found on the island of New Guinea.
Description
The long-tailed honey-buzzard is fairly large, about 20 to 24 inches long, with a wingspan of 41.3 to 55.2 inches, and weigh 15.7 to 25.7 ounces. Females are larger than males. The adult bird is brownish-black color above, with whitish stripes on head and neck, and wide gray-brown bars on mantle and wings. The moderately-long tail bears four grayish-brown bands. The upper part of the face and the ventral region, of variable color from light cream to chamois, are crossed by blackish stripes, which are more numerous on the chest. Once in flight, the thin blackish stripes on the underwing coverts are evident. The iris is yellow-orange; the cere and the feet are bluish-white. The juvenile is very similar to the adult, but above it is a slightly lighter brown with more gray-brown bars on mantle and upperwing coverts; on the tail, the subterminal dark band and the adjacent clear band are thinner; the ventral region is of a more intense chamois-brown, with reddish-brown stripes.
Range and habitat
The long-tailed honey-buzzard is endemic to New Guinea and adjacent areas: it is present on most of the island and on many of the small islands just off the western half (Indonesian Irian Jaya), including Biak, Noemfoor, and Aru.
It is found in lowland rainforests and their surroundings, but is also present in secondary growth areas and in montane forests. Although it can live in elevations up to to 9,000 feet, it generally lives below 5,400 feet[3].
Diet
The long-tailed honey-buzzard feeds on wasps (both adult and larvae), as well as ants, grasshoppers and other insects, arboreal lizards, some small mammals and birds (including young domestic chickens) and bird nestlings. It is a perch hunter, and will follow wasps to their nesting locations, using the legs to dig up the combs once the nest is found.
Breeding
The long-tailed buzzard lives alone or in pairs, sometimes in groups of three. The nesting season runs from April to September. The nest, made of twigs and lined with green leaves, is placed at or near the tops of the tree canopy, some 60 or more feet above the ground. Little else is known about the appearance of the eggs or the size and rearing of the chicks.