Harris' Hawk
Harris' HawkHarris' HawkHarris' HawkHarris' Hawk

Harris' Hawk

Parabuteo unicinctus

Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Arenal Volcano National Park
8 Verified sightings at Arenal Volcano National Park From 2019 to 2026
3,710 Verified sightings across all 32 parks From 2019 to 2026
June Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Harris' Hawk

Parabuteo unicinctus is a medium-large bird of prey that breeds from the southwestern United States south to Chile, central Argentina, and Brazil. It contains two subspecies, the Harris's hawk (P. u. harrisi) and the bay-winged hawk (P. u. unicinctus). The species is also occasionally referred to as the dusky hawk and known in Latin America as the peuco.

Harris's hawk is notable for its behavior of hunting cooperatively in packs consisting of tolerant groups, while other raptors often hunt alone. Harris's hawks' social nature has been attributed to their intelligence, which makes them easy to train and has made them a popular bird for use in falconry.

The name is derived from the Greek para, meaning beside, near or like, and the Latin buteo, referring to a kind of buzzard; uni meaning once; and cinctus meaning girdled, referring to the white band at the tip of the tail. John James Audubon gave this bird its English name in honor of his ornithological companion, financial supporter, and friend Edward Harris.

Robert Ridgway placed Harris's hawk in its own new subgenus Urubitinga (Antenor) in 1873, and introduced the generic name Parabuteo in 1874. Richard... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Arenal Volcano National Park

Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
White Hawk
LC

White Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis albicollis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
NT

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Short-tailed Hawk
LC

Short-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Black Hawk-Eagle
LC

Black Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Barred Hawk
LC

Barred Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis princeps

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Black-Hawk
LC

Great Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Semiplumbeous Hawk
LC

Semiplumbeous Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Leucopternis semiplumbeus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Double-toothed Kite
LC

Double-toothed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Harpagus bidentatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 El Palmar National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~40%
2 El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
3 Palo Verde National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
5 Saguaro National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
6 El Impenetrable National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
7 Paracas National Reserve 🇵🇪 Peru
<5%
8 Machalilla National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
<5%
9 Santa Rosa National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
10 Nahuel Huapi National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
11 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
<5%
12 Iberá National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
<5%
13 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
14 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
15 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%
16 Cajas National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
Insufficient data
17 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
18 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
19 Addo Elephant National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
Insufficient data
20 Península Valdés 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data
21 Amboró National Park 🇧🇴 Bolivia
Insufficient data
22 Chapada Diamantina National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
23 Emas National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
24 Lauca National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
Insufficient data
25 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
Insufficient data
26 Vicente Pérez Rosales National Park 🇨🇱 Chile
Insufficient data
27 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
28 Bahía de Loreto National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
Insufficient data
29 Las Baulas Marine National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
30 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
31 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
Insufficient data
32 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Harris' Hawk in Arenal Volcano National Park?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Harris' Hawk sighting in Arenal Volcano National Park, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Harris' Hawk in Arenal Volcano National Park?

June has the highest sighting rate for Harris' Hawk in Arenal Volcano National Park in our monthly data.

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