- Buteogallus subtilis
Identification
43-53cm long and 930g. Broad wings, black with brownish cast to upper-wings. The short tail is black with a single broad white band and a white tip. The bill is black and the legs and cere are yellow.
Sexes are similar, but immature birds are dark brown above with spotting and streaks.
The call is a piping spink-speenk-speenk-spink-spink-spink.
Distribution
Restricted to the Pacific coast of eastern Panama south to north-western Peru. Much earlier confusion over its range, with some sources suggesting it occurs as far north as Mexico, but this now known to be mistaken.
Taxonomy
Taxonomy has been surrounded by much confusion. Recent work fail to support the case for species status, instead presenting strong evidence for listing it as a subspecies, B. anthracinus subtilis, of the Common Black Hawk.
Habitat
Pacific mangrove swamps, estuaries and adjacent dry open woodland,
Behaviour
It builds a large stick nest in a mangrove tree, and usually lays one dark-blotched whitish egg.
Diet includes crabs, and small vertebrates and eggs.
