Bat Hawk

This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

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 visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Dec 2022

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Records currently under review are also not displayed. For a full list, click here.

Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Bat Hawk at Macritchie. Photo Credit: Tan Gim Cheong
Bat Hawk at Bukit Lima Nature Reserve, Sarawak. Photo Credit: Raymond Siew
Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Con Foley
Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Rane Wong
External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Bat Hawk)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Macheiramphus alcinus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22695021A93485278.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

Lim, K. S. (2009). The Avifauna of Singapore. Nature Society (Singapore).

Robson, C. (2014). Field guide to the birds of South-East Asia (Second Edition). Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Singapore Birds Project. (n.d.). Bat Hawk. Retrieved on June 2, 2023 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/bat-hawk.