Spizaetus melanoleucus

(Vieillot, 1816)

Vernacular names
English : Black-and-white hawk-eagle
French : Aigle noir et blanc

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Accipitriformes
Family : Accipitridae
Notes : No subspecies known.

Identification
Fairly small eagle reaching 51 cm in length for a weight of 780 g and a wingspan of 135 cm. Plumage snowy white with conspicuous black cap, black wings and black and grey tail. Black eyering, bill is orange-yellow with black tip.

Range and habitat
The species has a patchy range, occurring from south-central Mexico and throughout Central America to Bolivia, Paraguay, most of east and south Brazil. Lives in tropical and subtropical forests with open areas, near rivers, to 3000 m.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Appendix II
Status : The species isn’t common anywhere and is locally declining because of disturbance at nesting sites and habitat loss. It could be uplisted soon.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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