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HARRIS’S HAWK  Parabuteo unicinctus 49–54cm, WS 102–120cm. Large

dark hawk, local in open country, especially ranchland and marshes with

scattered trees, adjacent scrubby woodland. Perches prominently on utility

poles, tall bare snags; hunts from perches and in flight. Soars infrequently, with

wings mostly flat; wingbeats rather floppy and loose, unlike stiffer wingbeats of

buteos. Distinctive, but cf. perched dark-morph Red-tailed Hawk, imm.

Savanna Hawk. Note long graduated tail with big white base above and below,

long yellow legs, deep rusty shoulders and leggings. Attains adult appearance in

2nd year. SOUNDS: Generally quiet. Adult gives gruff rasping calls, mainly near

nest. Juv. has shrill whistled whiéih, at times repeated steadily. STATUS: Uncommon to locally fairly

common in nw. lowlands; scarce and local elsewhere on both slopes, rarely to 1200m. (Mexico and sw.

US to S America.)

BLACK-COLLARED HAWK  Busarellus nigricollis 46–56cm, WS 114–134cm.

Distinctive, stocky, very broad-winged hawk of freshwater wetlands, lakes,

slow-moving rivers. Mainly eats fish and hunts from perches. Rather sluggish;

perches in trees overlooking water, on low posts, at times on ground. Wingbeats

slow and fairly deep, soars on flattish wings with tips often curled up. Adult

essentially unmistakable, bright orangey with whitish head; black collar not

always easy to see. On juv. note habits, stocky shape with short tail, ghosting of

adult plumage pattern, grayish cere, pale legs. Cf. Savanna Hawk. 2nd-year like

adult but underparts flecked whitish and dark, thighs barred dusky. Attains

adult plumage in 3rd year. SOUNDS: Usually quiet. Occasional hoarse rasps and a slightly piercing, slurred

screaming hileeee. STATUS: Uncommon to fairly common locally on n. Caribbean slope, to 300m. Scarce

and local on Pacific slope, at least formerly. (Mexico to S America.)

SAVANNA HAWK  Buteogallus meridionalis 48–53cm, WS 120–140cm. Large,

long-legged, and long-winged hawk of open country with scattered trees and

forest patches. Perches prominently on utility poles, tall bare snags; hunts from

perches and on ground, where walks confidently and may follow plows. Soars

with wings mostly flat; wingbeats rather smooth, unlike stiffer wingbeats of

buteos. Adult distinctive; imm. might be confused with imm. Harris’s and

imm. Great Black Hawks. Note relatively short tail, with wing-tips at rest

about equal with or slightly longer than tail tip (vs. long tail on Harris’s and

Great Black); variable rusty on upperwing coverts and thighs; variable

cinnamon rusty bases to primaries and secondaries in flight. Imm. variable, 1st-year has extensively pale

creamy head and underparts, 2nd-year darker overall; attains adult appearance in 3rd year.

SOUNDS: Drawn-out, downslurred scream, 1–1.5 secs, heeéueeee, suggests Gray Hawk. In flight display,

varied series of short nasal screams, mehy’hr meyh’h meh-meh, and variations. Juv. has steady series of

plaintive, sometimes modulated whistles, whiéh, whiéh.…STATUS: Uncommon and local but increasing

in s. Pacific lowlands; first recorded Costa Rica in mid-2000s and likely to spread n. with deforestation.

(Costa Rica to S America.)