Bird Guide

Black Hawk-Eagle vs Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Black Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus tyrannus)

Black Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus tyrannus

Large1.0 kgForest

The black hawk-eagle is 58–70 cm (23–27.5 in) long and weighs about 900 to 1,300 grams (2.0 to 2.9 pounds). It has black plumage with varying patterns on its wings and body, and white speckling in places. It has barred wings, slightly elliptical in shape, and a long, narrow tail which is rarely fanned. The four grey bars on the tail are distinctive to the black hawk-eagle, as is the white line seen slightly above the bird's eye. While flying, the broadness and shortness of the wings become apparent. While in flight, the bird's tail is typically kept closed.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Black Hawk-Eagle
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz · Flight call · San Antonio De Los Altos, Los Salias, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: http://www.birdphotos.com · CC BY 3.0
Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus)

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Spizaetus ornatus

Large1.2 kgForest

This is a medium to large-sized species of raptor, but small for an eagle. In the ornate hawk-eagle, the sexes are similar in appearance and overlap in size, but like most birds of prey, do show reverse sexual dimorphism, in which females outsize males to the contrary of most nonraptorial birds. The biggest female ornate hawk-eagles are 13% larger than biggest males, with an average of about 8% greater in nominate race. In Central America, in extreme cases, the largest females are as much as 50% heavier than the smallest males. Voice: The main call known for the ornate hawk-eagle is a series of loud piping whistles. It is emitted by the soaring bird, usually male, and is often transcribed as whi whee-whee-wheep, the whee repeated anywhere from 2 to 9 times. Numerous variations are known are given in terms of transcription but most sources describe in roughly similar ways.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Recorded by Rosa Elena Albornoz @rosaelena_naturaleza · Call · San Antonio De Los Altos (near Parroquia Macarao), Los Salias, Miranda, Venezuela · CC0
Photo: My-Lan Le · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Black Hawk-Eagle and Ornate Hawk-Eagle.