Roadside Hawk

Q: What are the chances of seeing a Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Roadside Hawk sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 300 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

Q: When is the best time to see Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

December has the highest sighting rate for Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.

Rupornis magnirostris

Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered

KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
PhylumChordata (Chordates)
ClassAves (Birds)
OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
GenusRupornis
SpeciesRupornis magnirostris (Roadside Hawk)

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible

at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

300 Verified sightings at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary From 2019 to 2026

40,474 Verified sightings across all 84 parks From 2019 to 2026

December Best month highest sighting rate

☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

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 →

Closest Relatives at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Leucopternis albicollis

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck

Leptodon cayanensis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spizaetus tyrannus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo brachyurus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Harpagus bidentatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Ictinia plumbea

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Spizaetus melanoleucus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

See all 12 relatives Show fewer

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	~60%
2	El Impenetrable National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~60%
3	Darién National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~60%
4	Sierra de la Macarena National Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~50%
5	Parque Estadual Encontro das Águas	🇧🇷 Brazil	~50%
6	Calakmul Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~50%
7	Tikal National Park	🇬🇹 Guatemala	~50%
8	Amacayacu National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~40%
9	Marino Ballena National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
10	Iberá National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~40%
11	Santa Rosa National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
12	Piedras Blancas National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
13	Emas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
14	Bastimentos Island National Marine Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~40%
15	Tijuca National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~40%
16	Corcovado National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~40%
17	Tambopata National Reserve	🇵🇪 Peru	~40%
18	Yasuní National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~30%
19	Manu National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
20	Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~30%
21	Madidi National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
22	Cordillera Azul National Park	🇵🇪 Peru	~30%
23	Serra da Canastra National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
24	Chapada Diamantina National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
25	Puracé National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~30%
26	La Amistad International Park (Panama)	🇵🇦 Panama	~30%
27	Noel Kempff Mercado National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
28	Anavilhanas National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
29	Iguaçu National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~30%
30	Lago de Yojoa	🇭🇳 Honduras	~30%
31	Iguazú National Park	🇦🇷 Argentina	~30%
32	Amboró National Park	🇧🇴 Bolivia	~30%
33	Farallones de Cali National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
34	Serra dos Órgãos National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
35	Manuel Antonio National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
36	Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	🇧🇿 Belize	~20%
37	Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
38	Palo Verde National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
39	Chingaza National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
40	Los Nevados National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~20%
41	Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
42	Canaima National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~20%
43	Pico Bonito National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~20%
44	Itatiaia National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
45	Chapada dos Guimarães National Park	🇧🇷 Brazil	~20%
46	Montes Azules Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~20%
47	Las Baulas Marine National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
48	Cahuita National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
49	Chirripó National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~20%
50	Rincón de la Vieja National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
51	Podocarpus National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	~10%
52	Tortuguero National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
53	Henri Pittier National Park	🇻🇪 Venezuela	~10%
54	El Triunfo	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
55	Braulio Carrillo National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
56	Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
57	Utría National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	~10%
58	Ostional Wildlife Refuge	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
59	Carara National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	~10%
60	Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	~10%
61	Coiba National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	~10%
62	Celaque National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	~10%
63	Masaya Volcano National Park	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	<5%
64	Chagres National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
65	Tayrona National Natural Park	🇨🇴 Colombia	<5%
66	Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
67	Arenal Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
68	Cañón del Sumidero National Park	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
69	Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
70	La Tigra National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	<5%
71	Celestún Biosphere Reserve	🇲🇽 Mexico	<5%
72	Tenorio Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
73	Soberanía National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
74	Parque Natural Metropolitano	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
75	Volcán Barú National Park	🇵🇦 Panama	<5%
76	Machalilla National Park	🇪🇨 Ecuador	<5%
77	Lauca National Park	🇨🇱 Chile	<5%
78	Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	<5%
79	Irazú Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data
80	San Lorenzo Protected Forest	🇵🇦 Panama	Insufficient data
81	Biotopo Cerro Cahuí	🇬🇹 Guatemala	Insufficient data
82	Cusuco National Park	🇭🇳 Honduras	Insufficient data
83	Brownsberg Nature Park	🇸🇷 Suriname	Insufficient data
84	Poás Volcano National Park	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	Insufficient data

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Roadside Hawk sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 300 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary?

December has the highest sighting rate for Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.

← Back to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Roadside Hawk

About the Roadside Hawk

Recent sightings of Roadside Hawk in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Closest Relatives at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Gray-lined Hawk

White Hawk

Gray-headed Kite

Black Hawk-Eagle

Short-tailed Hawk

Double-toothed Kite

American Swallow-tailed Kite

Plumbeous Kite

Broad-winged Hawk

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

Great Black-Hawk

Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

Quick answers