Bicolored Hawk - BirdForum Opus

Photo by Peppershrike77
An adult photographed in north east Argentina

Accipiter bicolor

Identification

Adult birds have dark uppersides, plain gray undersides without any dark markings, and rufous thighs which can easily be hidden under gray belly feathers¹, ².
Juveniles are more variable showing undersides between white and rufous and less contrasting thighs, but always expected to have a neck collar similar in color to the underparts³.

Similar Species

A thread discussing differences between juveniles of this species and the Collared Forest Falcon is found here.
Also frequently confused with various other Forest Falcons and the Gray-bellied Goshawk.

Distribution

Mexico to Argentina and east to the Guianas and Brazil.

Photo by Firetail
A juvenile photographed in Costa Rica

Taxonomy

The Chilean Hawk was formerly included in this species.

Subspecies^[4]

Bicolored Hawk (Bicolored)

• A. b. fidens:

• Lowlands of southern Mexico (Oaxaca, Veracruz and Yucatán Peninsula)

• A. b. bicolor:

• South-eastern Mexico (Yucatán Pen.) to the Guianas, Brazil and north-western Peru

Bicolored Hawk (Spotted)

• A. b. pileatus:

• Brazil south of the Amazon to north-eastern Argentina

• A. b. guttifer:

• Bolivia to Paraguay, south-western Brazil (Mato Grosso) and northern Argentina

Habitat

Breeds in open forest and forest edges. May be found in urban areas at other times.

Behaviour

Flight

Usually seen flying low to the ground.

Breeding

It builds a stick nest; 1-3 dull light bluish to off-white eggs are laid and are incubated for 35 days; the young fledge 30-36 days later.

Diet

The diet includes birds, though large insects and rodents are also taken.

References

1. Restall et al. 2006. Birds of Northern South America. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300124156
2. Thread in the Identification forum of Birdforum
3. Thread in the Identification forum of Birdforum
4. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
5. Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2022. IOC World Bird List (v 12.2) DRAFT. Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.12.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/

Jaramillo, A. 2003. Birds of Chile. Princeton & Oxford: Princeton Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0691117409

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2023) Bicolored Hawk. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 7 June 2023 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Bicolored_Hawk

External Links

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