Cuban kite

Cuban Kite
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Domain	Eukaryota
Kingdom	Animalia
Subkingdom	Bilateria
Branch	Deuterostomia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Sub-phylum	Vertebrata
Infraphylum	Gnathostomata
Class Information
Superclass	Tetrapoda
Class	Aves
Sub-class	Neornithes
Infra-class	Neoaves
Order Information
Order	Accipitriformes
Sub-order	Accipitres
Family Information
Superfamily	Accipitroidea
Family	Accipitridae
Sub-family	Perninae
Genus Information
Genus	Chondrohierax
Species Information
Species	C. wilsonii
Population statistics
Population	50-249 (2016 est.)
Conservation status	Critically endangered

The Cuban kite (Chondrohierax wilsonii) is an extremely rare bird of prey from the family Accipitridae, and found on the island of Cuba. Originally considered a subspecies of the hook-billed kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus), genetic research confirmed it as a separate species in 2007. It was named in honor of American ornithologist Alexander Wilson.

Description

The Cuban kite is medium-sized, with a body length of 14.11 to 16.9 inches, a wingspan of 28 to 36 inches, and weigh 6 to 11.4 ounces males. Females are slightly larger than males. The male is light gray above, with a light gray collar; breast and lower abdomen are whitish, and banded in gray to reddish brown. The female has a brown underside, a brownish-gray head, and collar, chest and bottom have a narrow brownish banding. The juveniles are black at the top and whitish at the bottom and rear. Both sexes are characterized by a large yellow beak and yellow-green eyes. The gray tail shows three black bands and a bright tail tip.

Range and habitat

The Cuban kite inhabits gallery forests of the mountainous regions of the Alexander von Humboldt National Park, Holguín and Guantánamo provinces, in eastern Cuba. It feeds primarily on tree snails of the genus Polymita as well as other types of snails.

Threats

The species is classified as "critically endangered" by the ICUN, due to heavy persecution based on a mistaken belief it hunts poultry, as well as heavy deforestation for logging and transformation of forest to farmland. Sightings of the bird are very rare, with three sightings during the 30 years prior to 1992, and after a last reliable sighting in 2001, the Cuban ornithologist Nils Pacheco succeeded in photographing one in 2009. Since 2006, employees of the Centro Oriental Biodiversidad y Ecosistemas, Santiago de Cuba and the Zoological Society for Species and Population Protection have made it a priority determine exact population numbers.