From Opus

aka Grey Hawk.

Buteo nitidus

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

aka Asturina nitida. Includes Buteo plagiatus/Asturina plagiata (see Taxonomy).

Identification

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

Distribution

See Taxonomy

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.

Behavior

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

Photo by gatafrancesca
Locality: Huatulco, Oaxaca, Mexico (race plagiatus).

Taxonomy

Work by Riesing et al. (2003) suggest Buteo is the correct genus, but it is still commonly placed in the genus Asturina, in which case the species name is modified to nitida.

It is sometimes split into two species:

• Grey Hawk (Buteo plagiatus aka Asturina plagiata). Monotypic. Found from far S. USA to NW Costa Rica. Larger and darker than the following.

• Grey-lined Hawk (Buteo nitidus aka Asturina nitida). In addition to the nominate race, it also includes races costaricensis and pallida. It is found from SW Costa Rica, through central America 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.

When the two are considered conspecific, the combined species is variably referred to as the Grey Hawk (e.g. by AOU, Clements and Howard & Moore) or the Grey-lined Hawk (e.g. by Gill & Wright).

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