Black-faced Hawk
Leucopternis melanops
The Black-faced Hawk (Leucopternis melanops) is a rare kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 8 countries, weighing about 312 g. The black-faced hawk is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
About the Black-faced Hawk
The black-faced hawk is a species of bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. This low-density species has traditionally been believed to be restricted to Amazon Basin north of the Amazon River, but there are several records south of this river, in, for example, the Brazilian states of Pará and Acre, and southeastern Peru. It is closely related to the white-browed hawk and individuals showing a level of intermediacy between the two species are known, suggesting that they rarely hybridize
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The black-faced hawk is a medium-sized hawk with black and white plumage. It has a white underbelly, a large white head streaked with some black and a characteristic black "mask". Below the black mask, it has a dark orange cere and a black tipped bill. The back of the hawk is dark all the way down to the tail with some mottling. However, a single white band sticks out near the base of the tail. Juvenile plumage resembles adult plumage except that juveniles have thinner streaks of black on the head, two white bands instead of a single one in the tail, and brown at the tips of the feathers. Voice: The voice call is a piercing, acute and descending whistle: "KEEuuu" or "KEEler" or "KEEyer".
Where it lives
When to see it
The Black-faced Hawk can be seen all year round, with peak activity in January. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Black-faced Hawk?
- The black-faced hawk is a medium-sized hawk with black and white plumage. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Black-faced Hawk?
- The Black-faced Hawk is a large sized bird weighing about 312 g.
- Where can you see a Black-faced Hawk?
- The Black-faced Hawk occurs in 8 countries, including Brazil, Guyana, Ecuador, Colombia and Suriname.
- What birds look similar to a Black-faced Hawk?
- The Black-faced Hawk is most easily confused with the White-browed Hawk and the Semiplumbeous Hawk.
- Is the Black-faced Hawk endangered?
- The Black-faced Hawk is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Black-faced Hawk for real
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