Grey Hawk

Overview

The grey hawk, or Buteo plagiatus, is a small raptor found in open country and forest edges across northern and central America. It was split from the grey-lined hawk and is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Adults possess a solid, unpatterned pale grey body with a black tail featuring three white bands.
• Legs are orange, and the bird has broad, rounded wings that are relatively short.
• Immature birds have dark brown upperparts, a pale-banded brown tail, and brown-spotted white underparts.
• The call is described as a shrill whistled 'kleee-ooo'.

Habitat

Found from Costa Rica north into the southwestern United States, including southern New Mexico, Arizona, and central Texas. Its habitat consists of forest edges, river edges, clear cuts, savanna, and agricultural land, with a preference for dry second growth forest in tropical areas.

Diet

The grey hawk feeds mainly on lizards and snakes but will also take small mammals, birds, frogs, and large insects. It usually sits on an open high perch from which it swoops on its prey, but will also hunt from a low glide.

Did you know?

Although named the 'grey hawk', it was historically known as the Mexican goshawk, reflecting its former classification within the genus Asturina. The species was split from the grey-lined hawk following a 2013 chromosomal mapping study that proved its distinctiveness.