Next generation: Grey - lined Hawk!

For years the Grey-lined Hawk (Asturina nitida) has been 'terrorizing' the airstrip area of Kabalebo. A still hunter who devours prey like toads, lizards and cowbirds. A common bird of prey that at first didn't had my entire attention. Until … I discovered her nest. 


It was during one of my birding trips that I discovered her nest. Behind the lodge called Inspiration Point we were looking through our binoculars for birds (or anything exciting). Than high up in one certain tree I saw a nest, constructed out of broken sticks. At that moment I wasn't sure whether it belonged to the Grey-lined Hawk or the Swallow-tailed Kite. Both birds were constantly close or near the nest. 


This is my observation report (mostly seen through a binocular):
- February 18th - March 1st, 2014: nest was spotted high up in a tree (50 meters). I didn't notice any activities close to the nest.


- March 15, 2014: swallow-tailed kite was soaring pretty low. On this day I spotted the Grey-lined Hawk was sitting above the nest. 


- April 15, 2014: standing on the nest was one immature.

Hope you can spot the nest with the immature.

- April 16, 2014: this was an exciting day. First I saw that the adult brought food for the immature, which she first torn apart into small pieces. She flew off and rested on a branch close to the nest. What happened next is that the immature stood up and started to swallow/eat the food. It rained a lot that day and I heard the immature constantly crying.


- April 17, 2014: the immature was excited or it was exercising …. jumping up and down from branches close to the nest.


- April 19, 2014: both adult and juvenile were perching in the same tree. This was when the juvenile was officially out of the nest.

Grey-lined Hawk mom with some food (toad) for her chick.

- June 10, 2014: this was when I noticed that the juvenile wasn't really aware of its surroundings. Right in front of me it caught an Amazon whiptail.


- July 11, 2014: near the Panorama Suites (lodge) I witnessed how the juvenile was either chasing away or trying to catch a fully grown Red-rumped Agouti.

Looks totally different if you compare it with its mom.

- October 31, 2014: I spotted the juvenile at the airstrip edge devouring an anole, or so it seems. Slowly but gradually I notice that it is also changing colors. The fierce look in its eyes also starts to 'appear'.

Slowly changing …..into an adult

It has been now 8 months since I discovered the nest. A wonderful experience to see a young bird doing so well in the wild by itself.