General

Roadside Hawk: This small, long legged tropical species common from Mexico to Argentina is casual in winter to the Rio Grande Valley. Gray-brown upperparts and rufous belly with white to buff coarse bars. Tail is banded. Flies with stiff, rapid wingbeats and hunts along roadsides. Female is similar but larger and juvenile is paler overall. Deforestation in the tropics has helped this bird to thrive as it produces more favorable hunting grounds.

Range and Habitat

Roadside Hawk: Tropical species, casual in winter in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Texas. Prefers plantations, second-growth woods and field edges. Often perches low on roadside fence posts or trees.

Breeding and Nesting

Roadside Hawk: Two white eggs speckled with brown are laid in a nest built by both sexes of sticks, in trees 20-60 feet above ground. Incubations is 21-27 days primarily by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Roadside Hawk: Eats large insects, reptiles and small mammals which it finds on roadsides and field edges.

Vocalization

Roadside Hawk: Song is a nagging scream, "KREE-yurrr" or "meeahhh."

Similar Species

Roadside Hawk: Broad-winged Hawk has a shorter dark tail with wide white bands. Red-shouldered Hawk juvenile is larger and shows a narrow pale panel across base of outer primaries in flight.