<BBIS Species Account 040710>

Belize Biodiversity Information System


Wildlife Conservation Society
Ministry of Natural Resources' Land Information Centre
05/12/99

Taxonomy

Species ID040710
NameWhite Hawk
Other Common Names
Category04 Birds
Phylum
Subphylum
ClassAves
SubclassNeornithes
Suborder
FamilyAcciptiridae
GenusLeucopternis
Speciesalbicollis
Subspeciesghiesberghti
References1
Scientific SynonymsFalco albicollis - Latham, 1790

Status

Status CodeStatus TranslationReferences
2Resident, species present all year.24
2Resident, species present all year.29
2Resident, species present all year.28
13Apparently secure in Belize27
272Uncommon: occur at low density in proper habitat.27

Distribution

DISTRICTReferences
Cayo, Belize5
Orange Walk, Belize5
Stann Creek, Belize7
Toledo, Belize4

Administrative UnitOccurrenceAbundanceTemporalReferences
Government landSightingUnknown, insufficient dataDecember32
Blue Hole National ParkSightingMarch30
Manatee Forest Reserve7
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest ReserveSightingDry season (Jan-May)12
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest ReserveDry season (Jan-May)19
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest ReserveDry season (Jan-May)20
Chiquibul Forest ReserveSightingDry season (Jan-May)13
Chiquibul Forest ReserveDry season (Jan-May)18
Columbia River Forest ReserveSightingWet season (June-December)4
Columbia River Forest ReserveDry season (Jan-May)20
Columbia River Forest Reserve12
Rio Bravo Conservation AreaDry season (Jan-May)14
Rio Bravo Conservation AreaSightingUncommonDry season (Jan-May)24
Rio Bravo Conservation Area17
Gallon Jug15
Gallon Jug16
Gallon Jug5
Tapir Mtn. Nature ReserveFairly commonPermanent Resident (Year-round)21
Chiquibul National ParkSightingDry season (Jan-May)18
Chiquibul National ParkDry season (Jan-May)19
Chiquibul National ParkDry season (Jan-May)20
Bladen Nature Reserve10
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife SanctuaryUncommonPermanent Resident (Year-round)23
Cave's Branch12
Hidden Valley & Falls (Bull Run)26
Lamanai Archaeological Reserve11
Caracol Archaeological ReserveSightingUncommonDry season (Jan-May)9
Caracol Archaeological ReserveSightingWet season (June-December)9
Northern Lagoon/Southern Lagoon (Proposed)15
Private land, see commentsSightingDry season (Jan-May)8
Private land, see commentsSightingWet season (June-December)20
Private land, see commentsSightingWet season (June-December)6
Private land, see commentsDry season (Jan-May)19
Private land, see comments15
Private land, see commentsSighting22

Hydrologic Unit DistributionReferences
New River Lagoon24
Roaring Creek21
Moho River15
Belize River6
Mullins River7
Macal River8
Bladen Branch10
New River11
Raspaculo River13

ELEVATION AssociationReferences
1-200 m32
1-200 m30
1-200 m22
1-200 m24
1-200 m25
401-600 m26

QUAD DistributionReferences
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'32
17 45' to 18 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'30
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'11
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'15
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'25
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 45' to 89 00'5
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'25
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'19
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'24
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'6
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 00' to 88 30'25
16 45' to 17 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'15
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'8
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'21
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'25
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'26
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'5
16 15' to 16 30'; 89 00' to 89 15'15
16 00' to 16 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'25
16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'5
17 45' to 18 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'15
17 45' to 18 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'7

Holdridge Life Zone DistributionReferences
Subtropical wet32
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical30
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical25
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical21
Subtropical wet23
Subtropical wet22
Subtropical moist25
Subtropical moist24
Subtropical Lower Montane wet26

Comments on Distribution

24* Uncommon in broadleaf forest.
32* Las Sierritas, Toledo District.
29* Uncommon northern semideciduous moist forest.
    Common southern moist-wet evergreen broadleaf forests.
28* Uncommon in northern hardwood forests, common in southern hardwood
    forests.
21* NE portion TMNR, base camp Pook's Hill
20* Aguacate; Jimmy Cut; Guacamallo Bridge
19* Big Falls Rice Farm; Blue Creek
18* Guacamallo
15* Hummingbird Gap; Toledo Settlement; Cayo
10* Richardson Crk. & Bladen Br. upstream to Calera Caves; lower Quebrada
    de Oro & Bladen from Calera to Hellgate; Upper reaches of Quebrada
    de Oro
8* Sighted at or within 5 mile radius of Chaa Creek Cottages
6* Banana Bank Ranch
4* Recorded at American Camp

Habitat Associations

HABITATReferences
TERRESTRIAL21

Forest Type AssociationsSeral StageCanopy ClosureReferences
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forestmature tree71-100%21

Land Use/Land Cover AssociationsReferences
Mixed Forest Land26
Mixed Forest Land24
Transitional Areas23
Evergreen Forest Land23
Protection21

Food Habits

Trophic
CARNIVORE

References on Trophic Level

31

LifestageFood Item ConsumedPart of Food Item
AdultSerpentesAdult stage
AdultSauriaAdult stage
AdultSalientiaAdult stage
AdultAvesAdult stage
AdultMammaliaAdult stage
AdultInsectsAdult stage

Comments on General Food Habits

31* Prefers forested areas in hilly terrain; hunts inside canopy or at edges and gaps; waits quietly on perch until prey exposes itself on ground, tree trunk, or branch, then glides or pounces to capture it; eats snakes, lizards, frogs, small mammals, large insects, and occasionally birds.

References/LifestageReference Numbers

Environmental Associations

References/LifestageReference Numbers

Life History

Management Practices

References/ResultReference Numbers

References

1  A.O.U. 1983. Checklist of North American Birds. 6th Ed.

2  A.O.U. 1985, 1987, 1989. 35th-37th Supplements.

3  Howard, R. and A. Moore. 1980.  A Complete Checklist of the Birds of the
   World. Oxford.

4  Parker, T. A. III, B. K. Holst, L. H. Emmons, J. R. Meyer.  1993.  A
   Biological Assessment of the Columbia River Forest Reserve, Toledo
   District, Belize.  pp.71-78.

5  Miller, B. W., 1994. Belize Christmas Bird Counts, Twenty Year Summary.
   in prep.

6  Duncan, M., W. Duncan. 1993. Banana Bank, Nov. 1, Checklist provided in
   lit.

7  Miller, C., B. Miller. 1994. Avian Studies in the Upper Mullins River
   Basin, Feb. and May. Unpublished Report.

8  Carnegie Ornithological Group and Mass Audubon Ornithological Group,
   compilers. 1993. Chaa Creek Bird List. Unpublished list.

9  Miller, B. W., C. M. Miller. 1994, Birds of Caracol, 1988 - 1993. in
   prep.

10 Brokaw, N. L. V., T. L. Lloyd-Evans. 1987.  The Bladen Branch
   Wilderness. p.38-42. Unpublished report.

11 Noble, B., B. Stewart, J. Dillon. 1994. Lamanai Bird List, Mid-October
   1993 - 16 March 1994.

12 Weyer, D. 1984. Diurnal Birds of Prey of Belize. The Hawk Trust. Vol. 14
   pp.23 - 39.

13 Mallory, E. 1993. Birds of the Upper Raspaculo, Belize: JSSEUR II.
   Unpublished report.

14 McDuffie, P. 1993. Personal Bird List for Belize: September 1, 1989 -
   December 15, 1993.  Unpublished list.

15 Russell, S. M. 1964. A Distributional Study of the Birds of British
   Honduras.  Ornithological Monographs No. 1, A.O.U.

16 Miller, B., C. Miller. 1994. A working checklist of the birds of Gallon
   Jug.  Unpublished list.

17 Anon. 1994 (August). Working Checklist, Birds of Rio Bravo Conservation
   Management Area.  Unpublished list.

18 Counsell, D.J.R., B. Etheridge. 1986. RAFOS Expedition to Belize. Unpub-
   lished report.

19 Hallchurch, T.T., compiler. 1982. Exercise King Vulture Belize 23 Feb.-
   16 March.  Unpub. report for the British Army Bird Watching Society.

20 Jenkins, P. G. 1982. The Royal Air Force Ornithological Society Belize
   Expedition, 1981. 80.pp Unpublished report.

21 Miller, C.M., B.W. Miller. 1994. Preliminary Faunal Surveys at Tapir Mt.
   Nature Reserve, 27 Nov.-5 Dec., 1994. Unpublished report for BAS.

22 Robbins, Chandler. 1996.  U.S.F.& Wildlife Service Wintering Bird
   Surveys for Belize.  Unpublished data provided by C. Robbins.

23 Kamstra, J. May 1987. An Ecological Survey of the Cockscomb Basin,
   Belize. Masters Thesis. York University, Ontario, Canada

24 Vallely, Andrew C. and A.A. Whitman. 1997. The Birds of Hill Bank,
   northern Belize.  Cotinga. 8:39-49.

25 Miller, B. W. 1997. Belize Christmas Bird Count Summary 1970-1995.
   Data from American Birds Vol. 28-50 including 1973-1996.

26 Miller, B. W., C. M. Miller. 1992. Avian Studies at Hidden Valley.
   Unpublished report for Mt. Pleasant Ltd.

27 Miller, B.W., C.M. Miller. 1997. Avian Risk Assessment for Belize,
   Species at Risk and of Conservation Concern.  Report to Programme for
   Belize/TNC Wings of America Program.

28 Wood, D.S.,R. C. Leberman, and D. Weyer. 1986. Checklist of Birds of
   Belize. Carnegie Museum of Natural History Special Publication 12.

29 Garcia, J., S. Matola, M. Meadows, and C. Wright. 1994. A Checklist of
   the Birds of Belize. WWF-US. 35p.

30 Brush, T. 1998. List of the birds observed at Jaguar Creek Environmental
   Center and vicinity, including Blue Hole National Park, Caves Branch,
   citrus plantations and Hummingbird Highway roadsides in central Belize
   during visits 9-16 March 1997 and 13-21 March 1998.  Reported in lit. to
   BBIS database administrator May 15, 1998.

31 Stiles, F. G., A. F. Skutch. 1989. A Guide to the Birds of Costa Rica.
   Ithaca, NY. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York. p. 104.

32 Meerman, J.C. 1997. Faunal Study of Las Sierritas, Toledo District,
   Belize.