Maned Hawk
The most common of the avian predators, the Maned Hawk is a small bird of prey.
Description
The Maned Hawk is a small bird of prey, not much larger than a dove or jay, making it roughly nine to ten inches tall with a wingspan of twenty inches. A relatively drab colored bird; brown back and upper side of wings, lighter tan belly with yellow feet, beak and eyes, the main feature of the Maned Hawk would be the collar of black feathers wrapped about it's neck and over it's shoulders and the back of it's head, a reddish sheen to the dark feathers. This feature gives this bird it's name, especially during the mating season when a suitor flexes these feathers to lift them in a fluffed up fashion, giving it a maned appearance.
Habitat, Diet, and Behavior
Varied in their habitat, the Maned Hawk ranges far and wide across the island, hunting everywhere from forest to field, occasionally even seen along the beaches while hunting. Their nests, however, are built mainly within the tallest of coniferous trees, multiple nests on different levels of the tree, averaging five to six to a thirty foot tall tree. These trees will be shared by two to three pairs, the birds often polyamorus with the other birds in the tree, though they are also known to be occasionally monogamous, monogamy seemingly reliant simply on the whim of the birds involved, rather than age or environmental factor. The only significant note is how any monogamous pairs will continue to live with the polyamorus birds, and become something of a 'watchdog' pair for the entire tree, growing more territorial in their actions toward birds not already nesting in the tree.
The hawk's main diet consists of small rodents and birds, and occasionally snatching small fish from the shallow waters. The hawk has two methods of hunting; in the winter they often sit in a tree and wait, feathers fluffed up for warmth, chasing down any activity they see with their quick flight. During the months when trees and brush are in leaf, the hawk frequently hunts by flying rapidly through the foliage, using it's agility and speed to easily navigate through the brush, snatching birds off of the branches and using the element of surprise to catch their prey. When hunting over an open area they fly low to the ground, darting back and forth to catch their prey.
Despite their nesting habits, the Maned Hawk isn't especially social, only gathering in groups of four or five at the most outside of the nests. Territorial against any bird larger than they, they will team together to chase and attack larger birds to drive them away from their nesting trees, and are known for harassing ducks on waterways, seemingly purely for amusement. When forming bonds in spring for mating, the birds will frequently show off their agility and speed by darting about the tree where the nest is located, before landing near to their partner and doing a bobbing sort of 'dance', neck feathers ruffled up to give them their trademark appearance.
Folklore
Local folklore tells a tale of how Kaika, enchanted by the speed and agility of the hawk, became attracted to the birds during their spring displays of affection and watching them hunt for prey. Likening them to flickering, darting flames, legend suggests she graced the animals with a bit of her touch as one darted past, giving the black feathers of the birds 'mane' the reddish sheen.