Broad-winged Hawk

The Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus), also known as “Gavilán aludo” is a chunky, medium-sized hawk that breeds E North America; in winters you’ll find it from S Florida and S Mexico to Perú and N Brazil. It prefers open areas, broken and semi-open forest. Feeds of reptiles, large insects, small mammals and occasionally small birds.

43cm (17”), 450g. Above dark brown; below white, irregularly spotted, chevroned or barred with reddish-brown, heaviest on breast, which can be of that one solid color. Throat white, bordered by black malar stripes; wings below white with almost unnoticeable darker barring; remiges tipped with black; tail banded black and white. Iris pale brown, cere and legs yellow. Young ones are above brown, with whitish streaks on head and pale spots on mantle. Below white to buff with dark spotting; tail gray with narrow dark bars (subterminal one widest)