Variable Hawk - BirdForum Opus

Buteo polyosoma

Photo by Peter Bono.
A dark phase bird framegrabbed from video taken on the road to Portillo Pass, northeast of Santiago, Chile, in February 2003.

Identification

This bird has a white tail and a black sub-terminal band. Males have grey backs with largely grey or white underparts. The larger females typically have a rufous back but can have either white or rufous underparts. Male: 18 - 20 in. Female: 20 - 22 in.

Distribution

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Falkland Islands, Peru, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, and Uruguay.

Habitat

Temperate forests, subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, and subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland.

Behaviour

This bird catches its prey on the wing, and eats mammals, birds, reptiles and snails. It likes to sit on the highest branches of trees or edges of ravines.

It nests in treetops. The nest is large and made of dry sticks; generally with 2 white with light reddish spots eggs are laid, size 57 x 45 mm. app.

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