AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

750. Melierax polyzonus

750. Many-Banded Hawk.
MELIERAX POLYZONUS.
Melierax polyzonus (Rupp.), Neue Wirbelth, p. 36, taf. 15 (1835) ; Drake, Ibis, 1869, p. 153 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. i. p. 88.
Saqr Schikl, Arab. ; Hatkaadak, Somali.
Male ad. (N. Africa). Upper parts slate-grey, the sides of the head darker ; larger wing-coverts and outer secondaries freckled with white ; primaries blackish, washed with ashy grey ; upper tail-coverts white barred with slate-grey ; tail blackish but white at the extreme base and tip, the outer¬most feathers banded with white ; throat and breast ash-grey, the rest of the under parts white narrowly barred with ash-grey ; bill horn-black, the base, cere, and legs vermilion ; iris pale umber-brown. Culmen 1.4, wing 12.5, tail 9.0, tarsus 3.5 inch. Female similar but rather larger. The young bird is dull brown above, the feathers with fulvous or rusty margins ; the throat whitish finely streaked with brown ; rest of the under parts, upper and under tail-coverts white barred with rusty brown, the tail greyish brown banded with dark smoky brown ; bill blackish horn, at the base bluish ; cere olive-green ; legs yellowish red, iris dull brown.
Hab. Northern and north central Africa, north to Arabia and Morocco ; an accidental straggler south to Damaraland.
Frequents woods, groves in the plains, gardens, and is not unfrequently seen near villages. Throughout its range it is a resident, is generally seen in pairs, and is by no means a shy bird. It feeds chiefly on grasshoppers, lizards, frogs, and small snakes, less frequently on mice or birds. Its call-note is a peculiar melodious whistle, which is generally to be heard in the pairing season.
Its nest is built of dry sticks and is placed high up in a tree, and its eggs, which are laid from August to October, are said to be bluish white.
Melierax is said to have occurred in southern Europe, but I can find no authentic instance of its appearance there.

BookTitle: 
A Manual Of Palaearctic Birds
Reference: 
Dresser, Henry Eeles. A Manual of Palaearctic Birds. Vol. 2. 1903.
Title in Book: 
750. Melierax polyzonus
Book Author: 
H. E. Dresser
CatNo: 
750
Year: 
1903
Page No: 
533
Common name: 
Many Banded Hawk
M_ID: 
2817
M_CN: 
Dark Chanting Goshawk
M_SN: 
Melierax metabates
Volume: 
Vol. 2
id: 
10528

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