Harpagus bidentatus
The Double-toothed Kite (Harpagus bidentatus) is a small, agile raptor found throughout the Neotropics, renowned for its distinctive foraging associations. Adults typically measure 30-36 cm in length, boast a wingspan of 60-70 cm, and weigh between 150-250 grams. Their plumage features dark slate-gray upperparts, a contrasting white throat, and a rufous-barred belly and flanks, complemented by a black-banded tail. The species' most striking field mark, visible only at close range, is the prom...
Primarily inhabits humid tropical and subtropical lowland forests, including mature primary and secondary growth, gallery forests, and forest edges, typically from sea level up to 1,200 meters elevation.
Mainly insectivorous, feeding on large insects such as cicadas, grasshoppers, beetles, and katydids, supplemented by small reptiles (lizards), amphibians (frogs), and occasionally small birds or bats, primarily captured by sallying from a perch.
This diurnal raptor is often observed perched inconspicuously within the middle to upper canopy, waiting to ambush unsuspecting prey. Its most remarkable behavior is its highly specialized foraging technique: it frequently associates with troops of primates (e.g., capuchin monkeys, squirrel monke...
The Double-toothed Kite boasts a broad Neotropical distribution, spanning from southeastern Mexico (including parts of Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas) south through Central America, encompassing Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. Its range continues extensively into So...
Least Concern
- The Double-toothed Kite earned its name from the two distinct notches or 'teeth' on its upper mandible, an adaptation likely for better gripping prey. - It is one of the few raptors known to deliberately follow primate troops, using them as 'beaters' to flush out insects and small animals from ...