Gray-bellied Hawk

About the Gray-bellied Hawk

The grey-bellied hawk or grey-bellied goshawk (Accipiter poliogaster) is a fairly large and rare species of forest-dwelling South American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. Dutch naturalist Coenraad Jacob Temminck described the grey-bellied hawk in 1824.

This medium-sized hawk measures 38–51 cm in body length, with females being considerably larger (by about 40%) than males. Other body measurements in the male have been recorded as 232–270mm flat wing length, 165–187mm tail length, 18–21mm bill length from culmen to cere and tarsus length of 50–55mm;. Corresponding measurements in the female are 263–283mm flat wing length, 181–207mm tail length, 20–22mm bill length from culmen to cere and 53–60mm tarsus length.

The hawk's basic plumage is coloured black or dark grey above and contrasting white or grey on the throat and body underside below. As the common name suggests, the belly is pale grey. The head is black or very dark grey overall and extends halfway down the throat before suddenly becoming white, so as to give a "hooded" or "capped" appearance. In males, the crown is darker than the rest of the head, whereas the plumage on the back and head... Wikipedia →