Helicolestes hamatus

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Subclassis: Diapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Infraclassis: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crurotarsi
Divisio: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Subtaxon: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Ordo: Saurischia
Cladus: Eusaurischia
Subordo: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Infraclassis: Aves
Cladus: Euavialae
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Parvclassis: Neornithes
Cohors: Neognathae
Cladus: Neoaves
Ordo: Accipitriformes

Familia: Accipitridae
Subfamilia: Accipitrinae
Genus: Helicolestes
Species: Helicolestes hamatus
Name

Helicolestes hamatus (Temminck, 1821)
Synonyms

Falco hamatus (protonym)
Rostrhamus hamatus (Temminck, 1821)

References

Temminck, C.J. & Laugier de Chartrouse, M. 1821–1838. Nouveau recueil de planches coloriées d’oiseaux, pour servir de suite et de complément aux planches enluminées de Buffon, édition in-folio et in-4° de l’Imprimerie nationale, 1770. Tableau méthodique. Levrault, Paris. Vol. I. Original description livr.11 BHL Illustration adult pl.61 BHL Illustration juvenile pl.231 BHL

Vernacular names
English: Slender-billed Kite
español: Caracolero plomizo
polski: Ślimakojad żółtooki
português do Brasil: Gavião-do-igapó
português: Gavião-de-uruá

The slender-billed kite (Helicolestes hamatus) is a South American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is found along a scattered range in forested parts of tropical northern and central South America, and far eastern Panama.[2] The species was recategorized into and has once again been removed from the genus Rostrhamus.
Contents

1 Description
2 Diet
3 Breeding
4 References
5 External links

Description

The slender-billed kite is a slaty gray kite with broad, rounded wings and a short, square tail. The species ranges from 36 to 41 centimeters in length and possesses a wingspan of 80-90 centimeters. There is no sexual plumage dimorphism within the species; however, females tend to be larger than the males, weighing between 367 and 485 grams while males weigh between 377 and 448 grams. Their characteristically sharp black beak is hooked, matched by sharp, black talons. Their eyes are yellowish, and their face and legs are orange-red. Juveniles resemble adults, but have brownish eyes and three narrow white bands in the tail.[3]

Both genders resemble the male snail kite, and the slender-billed kite has often been included in the same genus, Rostrhamus. Adults are distinguished by their yellow, rather than red, eyes and a noticeably shorter tail.[3] Other differences are found in shorter wings and more slender beaks. Nestling slender-billed kites sport a more similar plumage to their adult form than the nestlings of snail kites to theirs.[4]

Their primary call is a nasal kee-ee-aay-aay-aay that begins with a sharp increase in frequency followed by a steady decline. This call is often heard in-flight or in response to predators. Their second call is a repeating ker-ah with oscillating frequency (sometimes followed by repeating ah-ahs) heard as they approach their mate in the nest.[5]
Diet

The characteristic slender bill of the slender-billed kite is an adaptation designed to hunt aquatic snails, mostly of genus Pomacea, in flooded forests and other wetland areas. Though their primary food source is snails, they will hunt for crabs. They perch on low branches to search for prey before diving and snatching the snails in their talons. Upon catching their prey, they will hold the snail in their talon and use their hooked beak to remove the operculum and pull the body from the shell. Like the snail kite, slender-billed kites remove the digestive tract from the snail before consuming it, but it is unknown if they similarly remove the albumen. Slender-billed kites tend to hunt for smaller snails than do snail kites.[5]
Breeding

Slender-billed kites nest in trees from 9-20 meters in areas that flood during wet seasons. They commonly nest from June to October, and the nesting period lasts between 98 and 112 days. Typically, two eggs are laid, and the incubation period lasts 30 days. Young can stand at two weeks of age and successfully fly by 40 days. Until 7 weeks of age, the chicks are fed pieces of snail from bill-to-bill by the parent. Males court females by presenting them with snails and feeding them bill-to-bill, leaving and return with more snails until the female accepts the courtship.[5]
References

BirdLife International (2020). "Helicolestes hamatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T22695051A168789511. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T22695051A168789511.en. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
"Slender-billed Kite - eBird". ebird.org. Retrieved 2021-03-29.
Haverschmidt, F. (1959). "Notes on Helicolestes hamatus in Surinam". The Auk. 76 (1): 32–36. doi:10.2307/4081840. ISSN 0004-8038. JSTOR 4081840.
Dean., Amadon (1964). Taxonomic notes on birds of prey. American Museum of Natural History. OCLC 6969592.
Beissinger, Steven R.; Thomas, Betsy Trent; Strahl, Stuart D. (1988). "Vocalizations, Food Habits, and Nesting Biology of the Slender-Billed Kite with Comparisons to the Snail Kite". The Wilson Bulletin. 100 (4): 604–616. ISSN 0043-5643. JSTOR 4162647.