Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

About the Black-and-white Hawk-Eagle

The black-and-white hawk-eagle (Spizaetus melanoleucus) is a bird of prey species in the eagle and hawk family (Accipitridae). It is found throughout a large part of tropical America, from southern Mexico to northern Argentina.

As its name suggests, this is a black and white eagle, resembling the small typical eagles sometimes separated in "Hieraaetus". It is some 20–24 in (51–61 cm) long overall and weighs about 30 oz (850 g). The head, neck and body are white; a small crest forms a black spot on top of the head, and the area around the eyes, particularly towards the bill, is also black. The wings are black with a noticeable white leading edge, and the bird has a brownish tail barred black-dark grey and with white tip. The iris is orange in adults and greyish in juveniles, the feet pale to bright yellow with black talons. The bill is black with a yellow cere.

The sexes are alike in color, but the female is larger. Immature birds have pale edges on the upper wing coverts and some brownish-grey feathers on the back. The black-and-white hawk-eagle is hard to confuse with any other bird in its range with the exception of juvenile Grey-headed Kites. These birds are known... Wikipedia →