Solitary Eagle
Buteogallus solitarius
Rare. Very large, short-tailed eagle of highland and foothill forest. Like many hawks, soars mainly in late morning and is very rarely seen perched. Many reports of Solitary Eagle refer to misidentified Common Black Hawk, which also has blackish plumage and a single white tail band on its short tail. The eagle is much larger, with thicker legs, and feet that almost reach the tail tip in flight. Adult Solitary is slaty gray (vs. blackish on Black Hawks). Immature has diffusely patterned brownish tail and dark thighs, unlike black hawks.
Identification
The adult solitary eagle is uniformly dark gray, often appearing black, with white markings on the tail. It is 63 to 79 cm (25 to 31 in) and has a 152 to 188 cm (5 ft 0 in to 6 ft 2 in) wingspan. With a body mass of approximately 3 kg (6.6 lb), it appears to rival its similarly-weighted sister species, the Chaco eagle, as the largest living member of the Buteoninae subfamily, although the black-chested buzzard-eagle is similar or only marginally smaller in weight. It appears very similar to the common black hawk and great black hawk, but is much larger and has significantly broader wings, extending nearly to the tip of the tail. The exceptionally broad wings are one of the prime distinguishing characteristics of this species. Its body also has quite a thickset appearance.<p>The juvenile is mottled brown and tan, with markings around the eyes. It otherwise resembles the adult.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Buteogallus solitarius
- Authority
- (Tschudi, 1844)
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Buteogallus
Range and habitat
The solitary eagle is native to Mexico and Central and South America. It is found in mountainous or hilly forests, at elevations between 600 m and 2,200 m. The frequent reports from lowlands are usually misidentifications of another species, usually the common black hawk or great black hawk; no reports from lowlands have been confirmed. It is rare that in all areas of its range and poorly known. Very little is known about its diet, other than that it appears to have often been predating large snakes and one adult pair was seen hunting deer fawns. The remains of a chachalaca were noted in one nest.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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