Bird Guide

Ornate Hawk-Eagle vs Palm-nut Vulture

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
Palm-nut Vulture (Gypohierax angolensis)

Palm-nut Vulture

Gypohierax angolensis

Huge1.6 kgForest

This is a nearly unmistakable bird as an adult. At 1.3–1.7 kg (2.9–3.7 lb) in weight, 60 cm (2.0 ft) in length and with a wingspan of 1.50 m (4.9 ft), this is the smallest Old World vulture. Its plumage is all white except for black areas in its wings and tail. It has a red patch around each eye. The juvenile, which takes 3–4 years to mature, is brown with yellow eye-patches. In flight, this species resembles an eagle more than a typical vulture, and it can sustain flapping flight, so it does not depend on thermals.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Schristia · CC BY 2.0

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