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 non-breeding visitor

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured reports: Dec 2022

Past accepted records in our database:

Bat Hawk at Panti Forest. Photo Credit: Rane Wong
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
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.