- Buteogallus aequinoctialis
Identification
42–47 cm (16½-18½ in)
- Sooty-black head, throat and hind neck
- Darkish brown on wings and back
- Rufous wing panel
- Short wings
- Short tail: black with white tip
Distribution
South America: found from North East Venezuela (Orinoco delta), through French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname to eastern Brazil (Paraná). Also in Trinidad and Tobago
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Habitat
Coastal lowland swamps, mangroves, wet savannas and river edges.
Behaviour
Diet
Their diet consists almost entirely of crabs.
Breeding
They mostly nest in mangroves. Their twiggy nest is lined with leaves.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Bierregaard, R. O., G. M. Kirwan, P. F. D. Boesman, and C.J. Sharpe (2020). Rufous Crab Hawk (Buteogallus aequinoctialis), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.ruchaw1.01
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Rufous Crab Hawk. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 21 March 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Rufous_Crab_Hawk
