Ornate Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus ornatus
The Ornate Hawk-Eagle (Spizaetus ornatus) is a uncommon kites, old world vultures, eagles, and hawk found in 20 countries, weighing about 1.2 kg. The ornate hawk-eagle is a bird of prey from the tropical Americas.
About the Ornate Hawk-Eagle
The ornate hawk-eagle is a bird of prey from the tropical Americas. Formerly, some authorities referred to this species as the crested hawk-eagle, a name that may cause some confusion as it is more commonly used for an Asian eagle species. Like all eagles, it is in the family Accipitridae. This species has a feathered tarsus that marks it as a member of the Aquilinae or booted eagle subfamily. This species is notable for the vivid colors and bold markings of adults, which differ considerably from the far more whitish plumage of the juvenile bird. The ornate hawk-eagle ranges from central Mexico south through much of Central America and in a somewhat spotty but broad overall range into South…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
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.
What the Ornate Hawk-Eagle sounds like
Where it lives
When to see it
The Ornate Hawk-Eagle can be seen all year round, with peak activity in February. It is a resident species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify an Ornate Hawk-Eagle?
- This is a medium to large-sized species of raptor, but small for an eagle. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is an Ornate Hawk-Eagle?
- The Ornate Hawk-Eagle is a large sized bird weighing about 1.2 kg.
- Where can you see an Ornate Hawk-Eagle?
- The Ornate Hawk-Eagle occurs in 20 countries, including Costa Rica, Belize, Colombia, Brazil and Panama.
- What does an Ornate Hawk-Eagle sound like?
- You can listen to 2 field recordings of the Ornate Hawk-Eagle on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to an Ornate Hawk-Eagle?
- The Ornate Hawk-Eagle is most easily confused with the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle, the Black-and-chestnut Eagle and the Black Hawk-Eagle.
- Is the Ornate Hawk-Eagle endangered?
- The Ornate Hawk-Eagle is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Ornate Hawk-Eagle for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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