Common Black Hawk Photo Gallery
Adult
Large hawk with very broad wings and short tail. Adults are overall black with a prominent white band in the tail and a white tail tip.
© Bryan Calk / Macaulay LibraryArizona, May 17, 2017Juvenile
Large hawk with short tail and very broad wings. Juveniles are mottled brown and buff, with black wingtips and many narrow bands on the tail.
© Jim Merritt / Macaulay LibraryColorado, September 15, 2020Large, long-legged hawk. Adults are sooty black with yellow bill and legs.
© Timothy Barksdale / Macaulay LibraryLimón, April 01, 1998Not all videos have soundJuvenile
Note very broad wings, especially secondaries, and short tail. Juveniles are mottled brown and buff, and show pale panels in the outer wing, with dark wingtips.
© Oscar Suazo Ortega / Macaulay LibraryComayagua, March 17, 2018Adult
When perched, note yellow base of bill and prominent white band in the tail and white tail tip.
© Jorge Dangel / Macaulay LibraryPetén, October 06, 2018Adult
Adults may appear dark grayish brown to black. Note long yellow legs and prominent tail bands.
© Rolando ChávezTabascoImmature
Immatures retain some juvenile-like mottling and narrow tail bands, while acquiring adult black plumage. Note long yellow legs.
© Daniel Murphy / Macaulay LibraryPuntarenas, February 01, 2016Juvenile
Juveniles can be strongly mottled with black; note narrow bands on tail and long yellow legs. The "Mangrove" subspecies group occurs in mangroves of Central and northern South America; it tends to be slimmer and smaller than other Common Black Hawks.
© Alan Van Norman / Macaulay LibraryGuanacaste, February 23, 2016Juvenile
Large, broad-winged and long-legged hawk. Juveniles are a mix of brown and buff and usually show a strong face pattern with line through the eye and dark malar stripe continuing down sides of neck. Note white panels in the outer wing (visible in folded wing; prominent in flight).
© Francis Canto Jr / Macaulay LibraryBelize, August 09, 2019Adult
Large dark hawk usually found near water in wooded habitats such as canyon bottoms, flooded forests, mangroves, and freshwater swamps and marshes.
© John van Dort / Macaulay LibraryAtlántida, October 18, 2016Compare with Similar Species
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Species in This Family
Hawks, Eagles, and Kites(Order: Accipitriformes, Family: Accipitridae)
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