From Opus

Photo by Glen Tepke
Locality: Old Gamboa Road, Panama (race blakei).

Buteo nitidus

[edit] Identification

Adults are generally easily recognized by the gray-and-white barred underparts and broadly white-banded black tail.

[edit] Distribution

From southwest-most Costa Rica, through Panama and most of lowland N. and C. South America, as far south as SW Ecuador on the Pacific coast and N. Argentina east of the Andes.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

• B. n. blakei (formerly costaricensis) from southwest Costa Rica to northern Colombia and western Ecuador
• B. n. nitidus from eastern Colombia and Ecuador to the Guianas and Amazonian Brazil
• B. n. pallidus south-central Brazil to eastern Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina

[edit] Asturina vs. Buteo

Formerly placed in the monotypic genus Asturina. Riesing et al. (2003) presented genetic data indicating that Asturina is nested within Buteo. This reclassification is supported by virtually all authorities since then: Banks et al. (2006), AOU (2006 supplement), Clements (2007), SACC (2006). The Opus follows in this consensus.

Gray Hawk, Buteo plagiatus, was formerly considered conspecific with this species. The common name for the species was Gray Hawk then.

[edit] Habitat

Woodland and forest, but sometimes in more open habitats with scattered trees. Mainly in lowlands, but locally up to 1800 m (5900 ft). Generally fairly common, but rarer in its limited US range.

[edit] Behavior

Feeds on a wide range of small animals, mostly reptiles, but also birds, rodents and insects.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2012. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Gill, F and D Donsker (Eds). 2012. IOC World Bird Names (version 3.2). Available at http://www.worldbirdnames.org/.
3. Birdforum thread discussing the taxonomy of Gray Hawk
4. Birdforum thread discussing AOU proposals including one to split Gray Hawk in two parts

• List of references

[edit] External Links