Slender-billed Kite

SCI Name:  Helicolestes hamatus
Protonym:  Falco hamatus Pl.Col. livr.11 pl.61,text
Taxonomy:  Accipitriformes / Accipitridae / Helicolestes
Taxonomy Code:  slbkit1
Type Locality:  Brazil.
Author:  Temminck
Publish Year:  1821
IUCN Status:  Least Concern

DEFINITIONS

HELICOLESTES
(Accipitridae; Ϯ Slender-billed Kite H. hamatus) Gr. ἑλιξ helix, ἑλικος helikos  spiral, snail shell; λῃστης lēistēs  robber  < λῃστευω lēisteuō  to rob; freshwater snails constitute the exclusive prey of the Slender-billed Kite; "The generic name Rostrhamus Lesson (Traité d'orn., 1830, p. 55), type Rostrhamus niger Lesson, judging from the descriptions of both the adult male and young, applies wholly to the bird now known as Rostrhamus sociabilis (Vieill.). Lesson refers also to Falco hamatus Illiger, Temm., Pl. col., but draws his description from specimens in hand, and not from the plates. Plate 61 represents the adult of the species now known as R. hamatus, showing clearly the short tail and short wing-tip, which we consider generically distinct. But Plate 231 depicts the young of R. sociabilis with the characteristic long wing-tip and white upper and under tail-coverts.  Hamirostrum Sundevall (Avium disp. tent., 1873, p. 109), is simply a substitute for Rostrhamus Lesson; see A.O.U. Code 1908, Canon XXX, p. lix.    HELICOLESTES, gen. nov.  Type.— Falco hamatus Illiger, Temm. Pl. col., 1823, 1, pl. 61.  Characters.— Similar to Rostrhamus Lesson, but with a very short wing-tip, the primaries exceeding the secondaries by not over 50 mm.; tail very short, about 120 mm.; immature plumage slate-gray, not essentially different from adult, except in white barring of tail and primaries." (Bangs & Penard 1918); "Helicolestes Bangs and Penard, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., 62, p. 38, April, 1918—type, by orig. desig., Falco hamatus "Illiger" Temminck." (Hellmayr and Conover, 1949, Cat. Birds Americas, Pt. I (4), p. 47). 

hamatus
L. hamatus  hooked, curved  < hamus  hook, talon.