Wildlife : The Broad-winged Hawk

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a small hawk of the Buteo genus. During the summer they are distributed over most of eastern North America, to the far west in the Alberta and Texas province. They then migrate to the south in neotropics from Mexico down to Southern Brazil in winter. Many of the subspecies in the Caribbean are endemic and do not migrate.

Monday, July 18, 2011
Wild life

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus) is a small hawk of the Buteo genus. During the summer they are distributed over most of eastern North America, to the far west in the Alberta and Texas province. They then migrate to the south in neotropics from Mexico down to Southern Brazil in winter. Many of the subspecies in the Caribbean are endemic and do not migrate.

Adult birds range in size from 34 to 45 cm (13 to 18 in), weigh from 265 to 560 g (9.4 oz to 1.2 lbs) and have a wingspan from 81 to 100 cm (32 to 40 in). In most raptors, females are slightly larger than males.

Adults have dark brown upper parts and evenly spaced black and white bands on the tail. Light morphs are pale on the underparts and underwing and have thick cinnamon bars across the belly.

They are much less common than the light-coloured variant. Dark-morph Short-tailed Hawks are similar but are whitish under the tail with a single subterminal band. Broad-winged Hawks' wings are relatively short and broad with a tapered, somewhat pointed appearance which is unique.

Dark morphs have a darker brown on both upperparts and underparts. They are much less common than the light-coloured variant.

Ends