Hawk (?), Panama (1 Viewer)

michalb

Well-known member

• Jan 30, 2020

• #1

Another bird I couldn't id at Finca Lerida coffee plantation. This time the only photo I have is much worse, but maybe someone can help with the id. I found birds of prey very difficult to id during this trip.

This hawk (?) was soaring over the coffee plantation and nearby cloud forest, it could be quite big, as the other bird in the photo is, if I recall correctly (and my notes too), a Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus). The perspective can be of course misleading, but anyway I think it was a quite large raptor. The very prominent white stripe on the tail seems to narrow the choice to a few species, but I can't nail it.

Looking forward to any comments!

Michał

Location: Finca Lerida coffee plantation, eastern slopes of Baru volcano near Boquete, Panama
Date: 3.01.2020

 

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Jefferson Shank

Well-known member

• Jan 30, 2020

• #2

I think it is a Zone-tailed Hawk.

https://ebird.org/species/zothaw

 

Jean FRANCOIS

Well-known member

• Jan 30, 2020

• #3

Rather Broad-winged Hawk ?
jean

 

Jefferson Shank

Well-known member

• Jan 30, 2020

• #4

Jean FRANCOIS said:

Rather Broad-winged Hawk ?
jean

Click to expand...

Yes I think you are right Probably a Broad-winged Hawk. I thought it had a dark breast. But I did not look close enough

 

T

THE_FERN

Well-known member

Opus Editor

• Jan 30, 2020

• #5

Jean FRANCOIS said:

Rather Broad-winged Hawk ?
jean

Click to expand...

Yes: dark phase

 

pbjosh

missing the neotropics

• Jan 31, 2020

• #6

Agree with Broad-winged Hawk and Black Vulture

 

B

birdmeister

Well-known member

• Jan 31, 2020

• #7

Broad-winged Hawk for sure.

The heavy upper chest markings and strong tail pattern suggest adult to me, but the obvious primary wing panels might mean it's a subadult. Either way, it's certainly a light morph Broadwing. In addition to dark morphs being very rare, they would appear much darker on the whole body and underwing coverts.

 

gerdwichers8

Well-known member

• Jan 31, 2020

• #8

birdmeister said:

Broad-winged Hawk for sure.

The heavy upper chest markings and strong tail pattern suggest adult to me, but the obvious primary wing panels might mean it's a subadult. Either way, it's certainly a light morph Broadwing. In addition to dark morphs being very rare, they would appear much darker on the whole body and underwing coverts.

Click to expand...

True; as a rule of thumb, a white vent to a median sized raptor in the WP always applies to a light bird or morph (regardless of species) In the Nearctic this applies less well (Snail Kite; Swainson's Hawk..)

 

michalb

Well-known member

• Jan 31, 2020

• #9

Thanks all! Broad-winged Hawk was one of many I suspected, but in "Birds of Panama" only the light morph is illustrated, and it looks rather significantly different than the bird in the picture. I guess the New World Buteos can be as variable as those here in Europe, so that was probably a "darker form of light morph" Anyway a lifer for me, thanks again!