The '''Long-tailed Hawk''' (''Urotriorchis macrourus'') is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal Bird of prey|raptors such as kite (bird)|kites, eagles and harrier (bird)|harriers. It is the only member of the genus ''Urotriorchis''.
This hawk inhabits the rainforests of western and central Africa. It has a wingspan of 0.90 m and can stand a total length of 0.60 m, including the tail of 0.30 m.
The Long-tailed Hawk primarily eats squirrels and small birds; it can also hunt chickens in the villages close to the forest. Its hunting tactics consist of breaking the neck of its prey.
The mating season occurs in July-August, when the pair build a nest on a high tree. Little is known regarding nesting and breeding the young.
Etymology
"Uro-" is from the Greek language|Greek "tail" (Williams 2005), and "triorchis" meant a kind of hawk thought to have three testicles—for further details see ''Eutriorchis''. "Macro-" is from the Greek for "long" (Williams 2005), so ''macrourus'' means "long-tailed", as in the English name.
