Safe-cracking ram-raider! ... This bizarre omnivorous raptor favours open woodland with palms -preferably near water. They will eat palm fruits but much of the diet comprises of lizards, small mammals and nestlings.
These birds have long double-jointed naked legs which they use to probe holes and cavities for lizards, rodents and hole-nesting bird nestlings. Harrier-Hawks are frequently mobbed by hole-nesting birds such as rollers and Wood-hoopoes. As a result they tend to raid targeted nests using a quick "smash and grab" technique.
This species always shows a keen interest in probing nooks and crannies -this young bird was photographed whilst practising its technique.
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Africa (entire continent rather than south of Sahara)
AN
Antarctica
AO
Atlantic Ocean
AU
Australasia (Wallacea (Indonesian islands east of Wallace's line), New Guinea and its islands, Australia, New Zealand and its subantarctic islands, the Solomons, New Caledonia, and Vanuatu)
PAL
Eurasia (Europe, Asia from the Middle East through central Asia north of the Himalayas, Siberia and northern China to Japan)
IO
Indian Ocean
LA
Latin America (Middle and South America)
MA
Middle America (Mexico through Panama)
NA
North America (includes the Caribbean)
NO
Northern oceans
OR
Oriental Region (South Asia from Pakistan to Taiwan, plus Southeast Asia, the Philippines, and Greater Sundas)