Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusRupornis
- SpeciesRupornis magnirostris (Roadside Hawk)
About the Roadside Hawk
The roadside hawk (Rupornis magnirostris) is a relatively small bird of prey found in the Americas. This vocal species is often the most common raptor in its range. It has many subspecies and is now usually placed in the monotypic genus Rupornis instead of Buteo.
The roadside hawk was formally described in 1788 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin in his revised and expanded edition of Carl Linnaeus's Systema Naturae. He placed it with the eagles, hawks and relatives in the genus Falco and coined the binomial name Falco magnirostris. Gmelin based his description on the "Épervier à gros bec de Cayenne" that had been described and illustrated in 1770 by the French polymath Comte de Buffon in his multi-volume Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux. The roadside hawk is now the only species placed in the genus Rupornis that was introduced in 1844 by the German naturalist Johann Jakob Kaup. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek rhupos meaning "dirt" or "filth" with ornis meaning "bird". The specific epithet magnirostris combines the Latin magnus meaning "great" with -rostris meaning "billed".
Twelve subspecies are recognised. Their distributions are... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Roadside Hawk in Celestún Biosphere Reserve
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Celestún Biosphere Reserve
Common Black-Hawk
Buteogallus anthracinus
Zone-tailed Hawk
Buteo albonotatus
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
Great Black-Hawk
Buteogallus urubitinga
Crane Hawk
Geranospiza caerulescens
Gray-lined Hawk
Buteo nitidus
Hen Harrier
Circus cyaneus
Snail Kite
Rostrhamus sociabilis
American Swallow-tailed Kite
Elanoides forficatus
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Mississippi Kite
Ictinia mississippiensis
White-tailed Kite
Elanus leucurus
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Roadside Hawk in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Roadside Hawk sighting in Celestún Biosphere Reserve, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Roadside Hawk in Celestún Biosphere Reserve?
July has the highest sighting rate for Roadside Hawk in Celestún Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.