From Opus

Alternative name: Variable Hawk

Buteo polyosoma

Photo by Peter Bono.
A dark phase bird framegrabbed from video taken on the road to Portillo Pass, northeast of Santiago, Chile, in February 2003.

[edit] Identification

This bird has a white tail and a black sub-terminal band. Males have grey backs with largely grey or white underparts. The larger females typically have a rufous back but can have either white or rufous underparts. Male: 18 - 20 in. Female: 20 - 22 in.

[edit] Distribution

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay.

[edit] Taxonomy

Two subspecies are recognized:^[1]

• B. p. polyosoma - Andes of southern Colombia south to Tierra del Fuego, and Falkland Islands.
• B. p. exsul - Juan Fernadez Islands, Chile

[edit] Habitat

Temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.

[edit] Behaviour

This bird catches its prey on the wing, and eats mammals, birds, reptiles and snails. It likes to sit on the highest branches of trees or edges of ravines.

[edit] Breeding

It nests in treetops. The nest is large and made of dry sticks; generally with 2 white with light reddish spots eggs are laid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

[edit] External Links