Tiny hawk
| Tiny hawk | |
|---|---|
 |
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| rufous morph immature | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Accipitriformes |
| Family: | Accipitridae |
| Genus: | Accipiter (disputed) |
| Species: | A. superciliosus |
| Binomial name | |
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Accipiter superciliosus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Falco superciliosus Linnaeus, 1766 |
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Falco superciliosus Linnaeus, 1766
Falco tinus Latham, 1790
Nisus tinus
Hieraspiza tinus Kaup, 1847
Hieraspiza superciliosa (Linnaeus, 1766) [proposed by Olsen, 2006; see text]
The tiny hawk (Accipiter superciliosus) is a small diurnal bird of prey found in or near forests, primarily humid, throughout much of the Neotropics. It is primarily a bird-eater, and is known to prey on hummingbirds.
There are two subspecies of tiny hawk, separated by the northern Andes. The two differ most significantly in relative tail length; differences in size and color are small, and can be hard to distinguish.
The tiny hawk and its sister species, the upland-dwelling semicollared hawk ("A." collaris), form a superspecies.
Tiny hawk is the only species of Accipiter yet studied which has a large procoracoid foramen. It also differs from the typical sparrowhawks in other respects of its anatomy and in its DNA sequence. Consequently, its old name Hieraspiza superciliosa may be more appropriate.
The tiny hawk is aptly named; males measure a mere 20 cm (7.9 in), about the size of a starling, though females are slightly larger at 26.5 cm (10.5 in). It is one of the smallest true raptors in the world and is one of the smallest Accipiter species, though the little sparrowhawk of Africa is of similar or even smaller size. The birds range in weight from 75 to 120 g (2.6 to 4.2 oz) As with most raptors, there is considerable sexual dimorphism in size, with females measuring up to 25% longer and as much as 60% heavier than males.
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