Expansion of the range of the Hook-billed Hawk (Chondrohierax uncinatus) in the state of Guerrero, Mexico
Keywords:
Accipitriformes, Avifauna of Guerrero, Risk status, Range expansion, RaptorsAbstract
We present three unpublished records of the Hook-billed Kite (Chondrohierax uncinatus) in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. This is a species for which there is limited information regarding its ecology, behavior, distribution, and conservation. The species is notable for its remarkable dietary specialization, as its diet consists mainly of arboreal snails. Two visual records were obtained in the locality of Jolotichán, municipality of San Luis Acatlán. The third record, supported by photographic evidence, was documented in the locality of Amojileca, municipality of Chilpancingo. This third sighting was made in an area adjacent to Omiltemi, a locality recognized as a biodiversity hotspot. The records of the Hook-billed Kite reported here provide support for an expansion of the species’ known distribution range. This range extends approximately 28 km east of Carrizal de Bravo, municipality of Eduardo Neri, and 20 km from the Valley of Tixtla, where it had been previously recorded. The records from Jolotichán, municipality of San Luis Acatlan, allow us to conclude that there is continuity in its distribution across the coastal plains between Guerrero and Oaxaca.
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