- Spizastur melanoleucus
Identification
Adult
- 50-60 cm.
- White head, neck and body
- Small black crest
- Black mask
- Black wings
- White tipped, brownish tail barred black/dark grey
- Orange iris
- Yellow feet with black talons
- Black bill with a yellow cere
Sexes similar, but female larger
Immature birds - pale edges on upperwing coverts, brownish-grey back.
Distribution
Occurs in Mexico, in Veracruz, Oaxaca, Chiapas and rarely Yucatán, in Central America south to Panama and in South America from Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas south to southern Brazil, Paraguay, and northern Argentina. Rare over most of range. Resident.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
It has been proposed that it be moved from genus Spizastur to Spizaetus.
Habitat
Forest from sea-level up to 1,500m, also forest edge and riverine woodland.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes mammals, toads, and a wide variety of birds.
Breeding
It nests in the forest canopy, building a large stick nest (as much as 8 ft dia) high up in exposed trees on ridges.
References
- Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Wikipedia
- BF Member observations
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 February 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-and-white_Hawk-Eagle
