Bat Hawk

Overview

The bat hawk (Macheiramphus alcinus) is a slender, medium-sized raptor found across sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and New Guinea. It is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN due to its large range and relatively stable population, although localized populations in South Africa are considered Endangered.

Identification

• Slender, medium-sized bird of prey, approximately 45 cm long and weighing 600–650 grams.
• Adults are dark brown or black with a white patch on the throat and chest, plus a white streak above and below each eye; juveniles are mottled brown with more white plumage.
• Features long wings and a falcon-like silhouette in flight, along with an unusually large gape for a raptor.

Habitat

Found in sub-Saharan Africa, south Asia, and New Guinea, the bat hawk requires open space for hunting but can inhabit a variety of environments ranging from dense rainforest to semi-arid veld.

Diet

Primarily feeds on bats, capturing them at high speeds in flight and swallowing them whole, though it may also consume small birds such as swallows, swifts, and nightjars, or insects. Hunting is crepuscular, occurring at dusk near bat dwellings, with a high success rate and rapid ingestion times.

Did you know?

The bat hawk possesses the largest gape of any raptor relative to its body size, a trait that resembles insectivorous birds like swallows and swifts, enabling it to swallow prey in as little as six seconds.