Short-tailed Hawk
Short-tailed HawkShort-tailed HawkShort-tailed HawkShort-tailed Hawk

Short-tailed Hawk

Buteo brachyurus

Silhouette: Lauren Anderson · PhyloPic

Least ConcernNear ThreatenedVulnerableEndangeredCritically Endangered
Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve
42 Verified sightings at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve From 2019 to 2026
10,751 Verified sightings across all 87 parks From 2019 to 2026
January Best month highest sighting rate
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted during daytime hours (6am–6pm)

About the Short-tailed Hawk

The short-tailed hawk (Buteo brachyurus) is an American bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes the eagles and Old World vultures. As a member of the genus Buteo, it is not a true hawk and thus also referred to as a "buteo" or (outside North America) "buzzard". The white-throated hawk (B. albigula) is a close relative and was formerly included in the species B. brachyurus.

Short-tailed hawks breed in the tropical and subtropical Americas from southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina north through Central America to the mountains of the Mexico-Arizona border area, as well as in southern Florida, United States; it is also found on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. This species is generally found below 4,500 ft (1,400 m) ASL and most common below 2,500 ft (760 m). It is replaced by the white-throated hawk (B. albigula) in the Andes of southern Colombia and south to central Argentina and Chile; the short-tailed hawk is found in the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Occidental of Colombia, while B. albigula occurs south of these locales. As far as is known, B. brachyurus is a year-round resident except that most of the Florida population migrates in winter... Wikipedia →

Closest Relatives at Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve

Gray-lined Hawk
LC

Gray-lined Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo nitidus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Broad-winged Hawk
LC

Broad-winged Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo platypterus

Daily sighting probability Insufficient data
Zone-tailed Hawk
LC

Zone-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo albonotatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
White-tailed Hawk

White-tailed Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteo albicaudatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Roadside Hawk
LC

Roadside Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rupornis magnirostris

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
Common Black-Hawk
LC

Common Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus anthracinus

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
Snail Kite
LC

Snail Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Rostrhamus sociabilis

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
American Swallow-tailed Kite
LC

American Swallow-tailed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Elanoides forficatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Great Black-Hawk
LC

Great Black-Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Buteogallus urubitinga

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Crane Hawk
LC

Crane Hawk

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Geranospiza caerulescens

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Ornate Hawk-Eagle
NT

Ornate Hawk-Eagle

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Spizaetus ornatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
Hook-billed Kite
LC

Hook-billed Kite

☀️ Diurnal Bird

Chondrohierax uncinatus

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare

Global Distribution

Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.

Parks Where Found

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

Quick answers

What are the chances of seeing a Short-tailed Hawk in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Short-tailed Hawk sighting in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, based on 42 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.

When is the best time to see Short-tailed Hawk in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve?

January has the highest sighting rate for Short-tailed Hawk in Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in our monthly data.

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