Harris' Hawk
Parabuteo unicinctus
Silhouette: Edwin Price · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderAccipitriformes (Hawks, Eagles, Kites, and Allies)
- FamilyAccipitridae (Hawks, Eagles, and Kites)
- GenusParabuteo (White-rumped and Harris's Hawks)
- SpeciesParabuteo unicinctus (Harris' Hawk)
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 →
Recent sightings of Harris' Hawk in Serra dos Órgãos National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Serra dos Órgãos National Park
Roadside Hawk
Rupornis magnirostris
Black Hawk-Eagle
Spizaetus tyrannus
Hook-billed Kite
Chondrohierax uncinatus
Rufous-thighed Kite
Harpagus diodon
White-necked Hawk
Leucopternis lacernulatus
White-rumped Hawk
Percnohierax leucorrhous
White-tailed Hawk
Buteo albicaudatus
Savanna Hawk
Buteogallus meridionalis
Mantled Hawk
Leucopternis polionotus
Short-tailed Hawk
Buteo brachyurus
Gray-headed Kite
Leptodon cayanensis
Crane Hawk
Geranospiza caerulescens
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.