Black Hawk-Eagle - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Peter R. Bono (Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.)
Along Manu Road, above Pilcopata (760m), Peru, August 2008

;

Spizaetus tyrannus

Identification

Photo by JorgePeru
National Reserve Pacaya Samiria, Iquitos, Peru, July 2007

In flight, the impression is dominated by the strong barring on wings and tail. The flight feathers near the body are shorter than those further out on the wing, making the jizz somethat butterfly-like.

Distribution

From Mexico through Central America to Trinidad, Brazil and Argentina. Avoids larger mountains and in South America mostly east of the Andes.

Taxonomy

Subspecies

Two subspecies are recognized^[1]:

• S. t. serus:

• Forests of southern Mexico to north-eastern Argentina and Brazil; winters in Trinidad

• S. t. tyrannus:

• Eastern and southern Brazil to extreme north-eastern Argentina (Misiones)

Habitat

Disturbed secondary humid forest at ca. 622 m (2,042 ft) elevation.

Behaviour

Mostly seen when soaring, often high above the canopy; sometimes gives its characteristic call when soaring.

Diet

Hunts from perches, from which it catches mammals and birds.

Vocalisation

Recording by Andrew Whitehouse

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. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black Hawk-Eagle. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 March 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black_Hawk-Eagle

External Links

Search for photos of Black Hawk-Eagle in the gallery

GSearch checked for 2020 platform.1

• Arthur Grosset's Birds