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.

Crepuscular Ecology/Behaviour: Crepuscular. Diet comprises mainly bats.

Local Status: Very rare non-breeding visitor

Conservation Status: Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1)

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

Reference:
Craig Robson (2011) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia
Lim Kim Seng (2009) The Avifauna of Singapore