Bat Hawk
Macheiramphus alcinus

A: Vlermuisvalk
G: Fledermausaar
N: surutsi!gūbe hīsabes
Sp: Matsenelela wa mmankgane
Ss: Fiolo ya mmankgane
Tw: Segodi sa mmamathwane
Z: umahlwithilulwane

BIRD FAMILY
Hawks

SIZE
45 cm (L)

HABITAT
Frequents riparian forests, evergreen *forest* and other heavily wooded regions, preferring light barked trees such as baobabs, mahogany including the edges of exotic plantations. Nests are deep platform of sticks and twigs on outer branches.

SPECIES DESCRIPTION
Uncommon and sparsely distributed ,crepuscular, resident. A dark-brown hawk with pale yellow eyes and white legs and feet. At close range, dark centre line on pale throat, two white spots on the back of the head and white eyelids diagnostic. In flight appears sharp-winged, falcon like but with bulkier body than falcon, the flight rapid. *Immature* has white underparts with dark streaking on the breast, a dark patch on the lower breast and a variable amount of white spotting on the underwings. When displaying in the evening, adult may call a high-pitched ‘kikkik-kik-kik-keee’. By day roosts well concealed in a leafy tree, emerging to hunt bats and small birds only at dusk and into the night or, in dull weather, also in the early morning, consuming food on the wing.