From Opus

Photo by alexandre vinot
Location: Kourou, French Guiana

Spizaetus melanoleucus

Spizastur melanoleucus

[edit] Identification

Adult

• 50-60 cm.
• White head, neck and body
• Small black crest
• Black mask
• Black wings
• White tipped, brownish tail barred black/dark grey
• Orange iris
• Yellow feet with black talons
• Black bill with a yellow cere
  

Photo by Marcelo Allende
Comandante Andresito, Comandante Andresito, June 2012

Sexes similar, but female larger
Immature birds - pale edges on upperwing coverts, brownish-grey back.

[edit] Distribution

Occurs in Mexico, in Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas and rarely Yucatán, in Central America south to Panama and in South America from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas south to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Rare over most of range. Resident.

[edit] Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species^[1].
It was formerly placed in its own genus Spizastur

[edit] Habitat

Forest from sea-level up to 1,500m, also forest edge and riverine woodland.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes mammals, toads, and a wide variety of birds.

[edit] Breeding

It nests in the forest canopy, building a large stick nest (as much as 8 ft dia) high up in exposed trees on ridges.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Wikipedia
3. BF Member observations

• List of references

[edit] External Links