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Bird name:

Hawaiian Hawk

Buteo solitarius

Order

FALCONIFORMES

Family

Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)

Code 4

HAWH

Code 6

BUTSOL

ITIS

175394

Breeding Location:

Grasslands, Forests

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Increasing gradually

Egg Color:

Light Blue

Number of Eggs:

1 - 3

Incubation Days:

Egg Incubator:

Female

Nest Material:

Sticks, twigs, and leaves

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

Hawaiian Hawk: Also called 'Io, the Light morph is dark brown above and cream below with brown flecks on the upperbreast. Dark morph is dark-brown overall with variably gray and brown tinge along underparts. Black bill with yellow cere. Sexes are similar, female is larger. Juvenile light morph has white-buff crown and nape, fewer brown flecks on breast. Juvenile dark morph is dark-brown overall, head and upperback are gray-brown, underparts show variable white tint. Cere, legs, and feet are blue-green.

Range and Habitat

Hawaiian Hawk: Endemic and widespread on the island of Hawaii and travels between sea level to tree line near Hilo. Regularly seen near volcanoes and along the Hamakua Coast.

Breeding and Nesting

Hawaiian Hawk: One to three light blue eggs are laid in a nest of twigs, sticks and leaves high in a tree. Incubated by female for 38 days. Both parents aggressively defend the nest and feed the young.

Foraging and Feeding

Hawaiian Hawk: Feeds on rats, small birds, stream animals and a variety of insects. Will either dive on prey from the air or hunt from a perched position.

Vocalization

Hawaiian Hawk: Call is a high pitched scream "eeeee-oh" and a series of piercing "keeee-up" often repeated.

Similar Species

Hawaiian Hawk: Not likely to be confused with any other species.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Underparts

Belly, undertail coverts, chest, flanks, and foreneck.

Breast

The upper front part of a bird.

Cere

Also called the operculum, it is a smooth and featherless patch of skin located where the beak attaches to the forehead.

Crown

The crown is the top part of the birds head.

Nape

Also called the hindneck or collar, it is the back of the neck where the head joins the body.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America