Bat Hawk

Scientific Name: Macheiramphus alcinus
Malay Name: Helang Malam
Chinese Name: 食蝠鸢

Range:
Found from tropical Africa and discontinuously to the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and New Guinea

Taxonomy:
Polytypic. Subspecies are: anderssoni, alcinus, papuanus.

Local Subspecies: alcinus

Size: 46 cm

Identification:
A falcon-like bird with yellowish eyes, overall blackish-brown plumage with contrasting whitish throat and center of upper breast and pale legs.

Habitat: Open areas in or near forest and vicinity of bat caves.

Behaviour/Ecology: Crepuscular. Diet comprises mainly bats.

Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Location: Only two confirmed record: a specimen collected at Pulau Senang on May 1951 and a bird photographed at the Central Catchment Forest on Feb 2009.

Photos:

Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Con Foley

Bat Hawk at Macritchie. Photo Credit: Tan Gim Cheong

Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Rane Wong

Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Con Foley

Bat Hawk at Bukit Lima Nature Reserve, Sarawak. Photo Credit: Raymond Siew

External Links:
Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page
Photos: Oriental Bird Images
Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link
Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

References:
BirdLife International. (2016). Macheiramphus alcinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. Downloaded on 2 September 2021
Lim, K. S., Chia, A., Yong, D. L., & Chew, J. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).
Robson, C. (2008). A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland Publishers.