White-throated Hawk

Overview

The white-throated hawk (Buteo albigula) is a bird of prey in the family Accipitridae. It is a monotypic species found across the Andes of South America.

Identification

• Size: 38 to 48 cm long with a wingspan of 84 to 102 cm; females are up to 20% larger than males.
• Plumage: Adults have brownish black upperparts, a white throat and underparts with brown streaking on the breast and belly, and rufous barring on the thighs.
• Tail: Dark brown upper surface with a grayish lower surface featuring up to 10 narrow dark bands.
• Features: Brown eyes with yellow cere, legs, and feet.

Habitat

This species inhabits humid montane forest, elfin forest, cloudforest, and adjacent open landscapes such as puna grassland in the Andes. It ranges from northwestern Venezuela south through Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia, as well as in central Chile and western Argentina.

Diet

The white-throated hawk is known to eat insects, rodents, and birds, including species as large as the Magellanic woodpecker. Its specific hunting strategy has not yet been documented.

Did you know?

The white-throated hawk is considered mostly silent but produces a distinctive 'squealing kee-ah' call during the breeding season.