FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Do you find ferocious birds or birds of prey intriguing? Then these facts about the bat hawk found in Africa (Macheiramphus alcinus) will be right up your alley. Want to know what makes them so interesting?
For starters, they are only found in a limited range on earth as they are native to Sub-Saharan Africa. They can also be found in Madagascar in southern Africa. Apart from their range in Africa, they are also residents of New Guinea and Malaysia. These birds of such a limited range get their name from their food. They are mainly dependent on bats for their daily source of food. One of the distinct features of these birds that eat bats is their wings. Each wing is long and covered with brown plumage. The rest of their body is also covered in a dense, dark blackish-brown plumage, with the only exceptions being their chest, throat, and the region surrounding their eyes. However, a black streak runs across the middle of their slender body. Their feet are of a grayish-purple color.
Keep reading to know more about their appearance and behavior of this bird found in Africa. For more similar content, check out the Harris's hawk and white hawk.
The bat hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) is a kind of hawk bird.
The bat hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) belongs to the class Aves.
The current global estimate of the population of bat hawks stands at 1000-10,000 birds. Among these, 670-6700 are considered to be adult birds who have matured.
The bat hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) has a very limited geographic range in Africa and Asia. In Asia, these birds are found in the southern part, specifically in Malaysia. These birds are also native to New Guinea. The bat hawk can also be spotted in Africa in the Sub-Saharan region.
The bat hawk is a resident of forests and can be found in tropical forests that are dense. Additionally, they are also found in deciduous and evergreen forests. These birds inhabit woodlands, as well as grasslands and savanna. The bat hawk is also a resident of bushes and plains in semi-arid regions. Wetlands and open space provide an ideal habitat for these birds to hunt their prey.
The bat hawk is usually a solitary bird with the only exception being during the breeding season when they pair up.
The lifespan of a bat hawk is not known. Most birds of the family Accipitridae are known to live for about a year or two. However, the longest living bird of this family was alive for 38 years.
The male bat hawk displays an act of courtship in order to attract the female. In this display, the male includes a stunt-filled flight, touching of the feet, and also rolls over quickly. The male then sits near the female that he tries to attract. Once a pair forms, the male and the female parents go on to build a nest with plants and twigs. Bat hawks reuse their nest for multiple breeding seasons. The female usually lays just one egg in this nest. The season in which eggs are laid differs from one place to another. In Madagascar, South Africa, eggs are laid in the month of December. It is generally the female who incubates the eggs. The male takes turns only when the female is not near and is out to scavenge for food. It takes about 42-48 days for the parents to incubate the eggs.
As per the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the bat hawk is a species of Least Concern. There is no threat to their population as of now since they are not that rare.
The bat hawk is one of the more slender, medium-sized birds out there. They are known for their long wings and these make them look like falcons while they are flying. Each wing is long and covered with brown plumage. Most of the plumage of adults or breeding birds is dark blackish-brown in color. They have a white patch near their eye and it may look like a white streak underneath and above their eyes in some bat hawks. There are also white patches on their chest region as well as on their throat. A black line runs down the throat along the length of their body. On the other hand, their feet are of a grayish-purple color. Young birds that are not yet of breeding age are mostly mottled brown in color. Non-breeding birds have much whiter feathers than the breeding adults.
These birds are not cute as they have a ferocious look as they are birds of prey. However, if you spot one of these birds in flight, they are very majestic.
This is a bird that communicates mainly through sound, touch, and sight. Like any other bird, the bat hawk can also perceive their surroundings with the help of chemical signals. This bird usually does not produce much sound. Their calls sound like 'kek-kek-kek.' that is a feeble chatter-like sound. Their high-pitched calls sound like 'kwik-kwik-kwik-kwik'. The females have a shriller call. In New Guinea, the bat hawk call sounds like 'kee-kee-kee-kee-kee'.
This bird from Sub-Saharan Africa or South Africa can grow up to a length of 17 in (45 cm). They can be about three times the size of barn swallows.
The exact speed at which this species flies is not known. However, they are known to be fast fliers as they catch prey while in flight.
This bird species weighs 21-23 oz (600-650 g).
The male bird is called a cock, while the female bird is called a hen.
The baby bird is called a chick.
The name of this bird is inspired by their diet as bats that are small and insectivorous are the staple diet of this species. They mainly prey on young and adult bats. A bat hawk hunts and consumes 11 bats within a time span of 18 minutes. Some small birds also form the prey of this species. Such birds include swallows and swifts, and they also prey on swiftlets. Swiftlets are young swifts. Other than this diet, the bat hawk hunts insects. Insects that fall under their diet include nightjars and other large insects.
Although they are not usually dangerous for humans, they can often pose a threat to small animals since they are birds of prey.
There is no evidence that shows a bat hawk is a good pet. However, people often keep hawks as pets. They must be handled with utmost care and skill.
The scientific name, Macheiramphus alcinus, is derived from Greek words. The word 'Macheiramphus' comes from two Greek words 'makhaira', meaning 'knife' and 'rhamphos', meaning 'bill' . The second half of their scientific name, 'alcinus', denotes a resemblance to an auk. Auk is a bird of the genus Alca. This resemblance is also a reference to the thin beak of a bat hawk.
There are as many as 200 species of hawk across the globe. Among them, 25 are residents of the United States of America. Some of the well-known hawks are the broad-winged hawk, Harris hawk, red-shouldered hawk, red-tailed hawk, and Cooper's hawk.
The bat hawk wingspan extends across 3-4 ft (1-1.3 m).
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our limpkin facts and common snipe facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bat hawk coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.