Common Black-Hawk

Buteogallus anthracinusOrder: FALCONIFORMES Family: Kites, Eagles and Hawks (Accipitridae)

Codes: Common Name: COBH Scientific Name: BUTANT ITIS Taxonomic No.: 175402

Related Birds

Harris's Hawk
Zone-tailed Hawk
Black Vulture
Gray Hawk

Birdman Mel's Backyard Tips

Overview

Common Black-Hawk: Large hawk, nearly all black with white patch just behind bill. Bill, legs and feet are bright orange-yellow. The tail is black with single, thick white band across the middle and a thin, white tip. Alternates deep steady wing beats with short to long glides. Soars on thermals.

Range and Habitat

Common Black-Hawk: Found in southwestern U.S., throughout Mexico, Central America, and northern South America to Guyana. Inhabit coastal lowlands of mixed savannah, dunes, ponds, lagoons and grasslands.

Topo Map: Hawk-like Body

Listen to Call

Voice Text

"ka-a-a-ah, ka-a-a-ah"

Interesting Facts

The Common Blawk-Hawk is often seen soaring, with occasional lazy flaps, and has a talon-touching aerial courtship display.

They often perch for long periods on a branch over water, waiting for their prey to appear.

This species is vulnerable to disturbance near its nesting sites and seems to be declining in the United States.

A group of hawks has many collective nouns, including a "boil", "knot", "spiraling", "stream", and "tower" of hawks.

Bird Term Glossary

Author

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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.

Common Black-Hawk

● Song: "ka-a-a-ah, ka-a-a-ah"

● Foraging & Feeding: Common Black-Hawk: Feeds on snakes, frogs, fish, young birds, and land crabs; may supplement diet with insects.

● Breeding & nesting: Common Black-Hawk: One to three white eggs, sometimes marked with brown, are laid in nest made of dry sticks and mistletoe. Nest is usually built within 500 feet of permanent flowing water and is typically constructed 60 to 120 feet above the ground. Incubation lasts for 38 to 39 days and is carried out both parents.

● Similar species: Common Black-Hawk: Great Black Hawk is longer-legged and stockier, with white on upper-tail coverts. Zone-tailed Hawk has paler underwings and two thick white bands on tail.

Flight Pattern

Soars on thermals., Alternates between strong flapping flight and gliding.

● Range & Habitat: Common Black-Hawk: Found in southwestern U.S., throughout Mexico, Central America, and northern South America to Guyana. Inhabit coastal lowlands of mixed savannah, dunes, ponds, lagoons and grasslands.

^BreedingMonogamous, Solitary nester

^PopulationRare

^MigrationSome migrate

^Weight25.6 Ounces

Hawk-like 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