Broad-winged Hawk

From Opus

Light phase
Photo by NE Birds Plus (Phil Brown)
Essex, Maine, USA, September 2003

Buteo platypterus

[edit] Identification

Length: 34-44 cm (13.5-17.5 in); wingspan: 81-100 cm (31.75-39.25 in); weight: 275-560 g.
The second smallest buteo in North America, the Broad-winged Hawk is a small, stocky hawk with broad black and white tail bands.

There is a rare dark phase morph.

[edit] Distribution

Juvenile
Photo by blubird
Bolinas Lagoon, California, October 2003

In summer, the North American range includes from Southern Canada extending west almost to British Columbia to Florida and Texas.

Migrates in large groups called "kettles" from Northern South America to the Eastern United States. Is often observed in large numbers during migration at "hawk watches" throughout the Eastern U.S and Canada.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies

Photo by jbissell
Des Moines, Iowa, USA, September 2006

There are 6 subspecies^[1]:

• B. p. platypterus:

• Central and southern Canada to southern US; winters to Brazil and Bolivia

• B. p. cubanensis:

• Cuba

• B. p. brunnescens:

• Puerto Rico

• B. p. insulicola:

• Antigua (Lesser Antilles)

• B. p. rivierei:

• Lesser Antilles (Dominica, Martinique and St. Lucia)

• B. p. antillarum]]:

Lesser Antilles (St. Vincent and Grenada) to Tobago

[edit] Habitat

Whilst preferring deciduous forests, is also found in rainforests and second growth, river valleys and coastal sage scrub.

[edit] Behaviour

Most often hunts from perches taking various types of prey.

[edit] Diet

Their diet consists mostly of small mammals, birds, snakes and crocodile eggs.

[edit] Breeding

They are solitary breeders and construct and untidy stick nest in the crotch of a pine or deciduous tree.

[edit] Vocalisation

The voice is a characteristic whistle.

[edit] References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2017. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017, with updates to August 2017. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. BF Member observations
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved Mar 2018)

• List of references

[edit] External Links